HONOLULU, HAWAII – The methods used to evaluate the cumulative impacts of the Thirty Meter Telescope to the conservation district on Mauna Kea was debated at the Hawaii Supreme Court on Thursday.

The Mauna Kea Hui is appealing to the higher court, claiming the “circuit court was wrong and the Board of Land and Natural Resources failed to meet its legal and constitutional obligations in properly identifying and determining the scope of the valued, cultural, historical and natural resources in the petition area; in determining the impact on these resources by the proposed land use in the conservation district; and in failing to take feasible actions to protect such resources by improperly delegating its duties and obligations.”

The video above was edited down from 2 hours of media pool footage. Richard Naiwieha Wurdeman represented the appellants Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Clarence Kukauakahi Ching, Flores-Case `Ohana, Deborah J. Ward, Paul K. Neves, and KAHEA: the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance. The attorney for respondent UH at Hilo was Jay S. Handlin and the attorney for the state BLNR was Deputy Attorneys General Julia China. The justices asked numerous questions of all attorneys.