HILO, Hawaii – Day six of the Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing was held on Monday at Hilo’s Grand Naniloa Hotel Crown Room.

The proceeding, live streamed by Na Leo TV, began with a back and forth between participants and the hearing officer, retired judge Riki May Amano, over her plan to move things along by limiting the length of cross-examinations to 30 minutes for each participant.

She also wanted to clarify who could object and who could respond.

Many of the pro se participants didn’t like the limitations, and were unhappy with a number of other procedural issues, like the 11 hour day that dragged on last Thursday in order to accommodate a UH witness who had to leave the country.

After about an hour, the proceeding finally got back to the testimony of University of Hawaii witness James Hayes. TMT opponent and original petitioner Clarence Kukauakahi Ching picked up where he left off with his cross-examination. Ching went through the documents with a magnifying glass as he asked his questions.

Meanwhile, the Thirty Meter Telescope has officially selected the Canary Islands as its alternative site should efforts to build the observatory in Hawaii fail.

TMT said in an official statement issued Monday morning that the TMT International Observatory Board of Governors met last week to discuss the progress of TMT in Hawaii and to consider potential alternate sites.

TMT Board Chair Henry Yang said that although Mauna Kea continues to be the preferred choice for the location of the TMT, the site on La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands will enable TMT’s core science programs.