Scheduling problems have forced officials to change the times for three meetings on Maui this week to collect public comment on the draft environmental impact statement for the National Science Foundation's proposed Advanced Technology Solar Telescope atop Haleakala.

The meetings on the $180 million project will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Cameron Center Auditorium in Wailuku; Thursday at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani; and Friday at the Kula Community Center.
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Because the Haleakala summit is a major cultural site considered sacred by many Native Hawaiians, the draft EIS proposes mitigation measures that include hiring a Hawaiian cultural specialist to consult during planning and construction, requiring construction workers to attend University of Hawai'i-approved "sense of place" training, developing education programs with schools, and working with Hawaiian and community groups to reach a draft memorandum of agreement that would allay worries about telescope construction.

The draft EIS also mentions potential "significant" impacts of construction on the nesting habitat of the 'ua'u, or dark-rumped petrel. Noise, vibrations and human proximity from the work could drive the birds from their burrows or cause the burrows to collapse, according to the report.
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Oct. 23 is the deadline to comment on the draft EIS. Send written comments to Dr. Craig B. Foltz, National Science Foundation, Division of Astronomical Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 1045, Arlington, VA 22230; fax (703) 292-9034; cfoltz@ nsf.gov.