Unresolved Issues

The summit of Haleakalā sits directly above the East Maui watershed, which provides two-thirds of the island's drinking water. Any industrial expansion at the summit poses a direct threat to the source of life for Maui's residents.

• Watershed Vulnerability: Direct path to island aquifers.
• Vital Resource: Source of 2/3 of Maui's potable water.
• Industrial Impact: Concerns regarding runoff and ecosystem health.

700+ gallons spilled January 2023. Remediation remains open. Investigations revealed a failure of preventative maintenance and a lack of proper leak detection equipment.

• Maintenance Failure: Not a 'lightning strike' as initially claimed.
• Lack of Disclosure: History of undisclosed spills at the same site.
• Open Remediation: 3+ years and the case is still not closed.

Haleakalā is not just a location for telescopes; it is a sacred relative and a site of profound spiritual significance. The Air Force has acknowledged 'adverse effects' to the summit as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP).

• Desecration of Wao Akua: The realm of the gods.
• Blockage of Access: Kupuna and practitioners restricted.
• Piko Connection: Generational burial sites of umbilical cords.

The federal review process has been criticized for failing to conduct a genuine analysis of alternative sites. Continental locations were dismissed without rigorous comparison, violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

• Alternatives Analysis: Lack of 'hard look' at continental sites.
• Section 106: Inadequate consultation with NHOs.
• HEPA Avoidance: Strategic project shifts to bypass state review.

Five primary alternative locations and systems offer comparable or superior capabilities for space domain awareness without impacting sacred lands.

• White Sands, NM: Existing DAF infrastructure.
• Mt. Hopkins & Kitt Peak, AZ: Proven atmospheric quality.
• Space-Based: Zero atmospheric interference, global coverage.

The Air Force strategically avoided Hawaii's environmental review law (HEPA) through project modification, undermining the community's primary regulatory protection.

• Strategic modification to avoid state permits.
• Minimized oversight of a project affecting sacred land.
• Institutional defiance of state and county authority.

Unanimous 9-0 opposition from the Maui County Council. Mayor's Office and OHA Trustee Hulu Lindsey also on record opposing the project.

• Resolution 24-103: Formal legislative opposition.
• Unified community leadership stance.
• OHA Trustee opposition record.

Formal NHO consultation did not begin until January 2026 — after prior communications claimed consulting party views had been gathered.

• Inaccurate reporting to federal agencies.
• Strategic delay in meaningful consultation.
• Violation of Section 106 spirit and law.

Proposed AMOS STAR facility reflects global space-domain warfare. Testifiers raised concerns about Haleakalā becoming a strategic military target.

• Space Domain Awareness: Military focus.
• Increased risk of Maui as a strategic target.
• Surveillance economy overriding community values.

A chronological record of contamination, arrests, and community resistance from the 1980s to the present.

• 1980s-2015: Three major undisclosed diesel and coolant spills.
• 2023: 700-gallon spill revealed maintenance failures.
• 2024: Maui County Council votes 9-0 against AMOS STAR.
• 2026: 80+ testifiers unify in opposition at public hearings.