Retired Circuit Court Judge to Hear Mauna Kea Contested Case

An artist’s rendering of TMT with its vents open. TMT photo.

Retired Big Island circuit court judge Riki May Amano will be the hearings officer to conduct the Mauna Kea contested case hearing regarding the application for Thirty Meter Telescope construction.

Suzanne Case, Chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the selection of Judge Amano on Friday after issuing a minute order to the contested case parties.

Judge Amano was selected pursuant to Hawai’i Revised Statutes section 103D-304, which required DLNR to assemble a list of applicants, which was then reviewed by a selection committee, who ranked the top three applicants..

Case negotiated a contract with Judge Amano, the first ranked applicant of the selection committee.

James Duffy, Associate Justice of the Hawai’i Supreme Court (Ret.), Stella Kam, Deputy Attorney General, and Christopher Yuen, Member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, made up the selection committee.

The public can file comments on and objections of the appointment through April 15 at 4:30 p.m. to the DLNR Administrative Proceedings Office, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 130, Honolulu, Hawai’i 96813.

Judge Amano will determine the schedule for the contested case hearing.