Supporters of Sunspot Solar Observatory are urging local leaders to help preserve the site after 186 pounds of mercury leaked from the Dunn Solar Telescope and federal officials moved forward with plans to demolish the facility.During a presentation to the Alamogordo City Commission on May 26, former Sunspot education officer Dave Doolin said the mercury leak is serious, but argued the entire observatory does not need to be torn down.”Once the mercury is gone, the risk is gone, and there’s no hazard to anybody,” Doolin told commissioners.Doolin said the National Science Foundation plans to remove the mercury and demolish the site, but called the outcome unnecessary. He said Sunspot could still be repurposed for science education, tourism and public outreach.He described the observatory as more than a telescope complex, saying the site includes research facilities, housing, a visitor center and other infrastructure that could support future educational and tourism uses.Heidi Sanchez, who runs the Sunspot Visitor Center and is president of the Sunspot Community Center, told commissioners the site draws thousands of visitors each year and serves as a hub for outreach programs.”Sunspot is more than just a telescope. It’s a complete science campus,” Sanchez said.Sanchez said demolition would erase not only the telescope, but the entire site and its infrastructure. She said supporters hope another agency, institution or community-backed partnership could take over the property and give it a new purpose.The Dunn Solar Telescope leak involved 186 pounds of mercury, according to the presentation. Doolin said that amount represented a small portion of the mercury used in the telescope’s bearing system, but said the leak triggered a major federal response. In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Science Foundation said the agency is “working with contracting partners on finalizing the demolition, remediation, and mercury disposition plans for the Sacramento Peak Observatory in accordance with federal law.””Safety remains our top priority,” the statement said.The agency said its decision to demolish and restore the observatory site was informed by an environmental review process that included public involvement and comment and addressed historic preservation requirements.NSF also thanked the surrounding community for its long connection to the observatory.”We are grateful to the community in and around Sunspot for their support and engagement with Sac Peak over the past 50 years,” the statement said. “Through their support, the observatory helped propel the nation’s leadership in solar science and scientific excellence.”Supporters questioned why the entire site must be demolished and asked for more time to explore alternatives. They say they are in the early stages of building public support and hope to involve local, state and private partners in an effort to save the site.They say the Sunspot, founded in 1947, is part of New Mexico’s scientific heritage and should be preserved if a new use can be found.
Supporters of Sunspot Solar Observatory are urging local leaders to help preserve the site after 186 pounds of mercury leaked from the Dunn Solar Telescope and federal officials moved forward with plans to demolish the facility.
During a presentation to the Alamogordo City Commission on May 26, former Sunspot education officer Dave Doolin said the mercury leak is serious, but argued the entire observatory does not need to be torn down.
“Once the mercury is gone, the risk is gone, and there’s no hazard to anybody,” Doolin told commissioners.
Doolin said the National Science Foundation plans to remove the mercury and demolish the site, but called the outcome unnecessary. He said Sunspot could still be repurposed for science education, tourism and public outreach.
He described the observatory as more than a telescope complex, saying the site includes research facilities, housing, a visitor center and other infrastructure that could support future educational and tourism uses.
Heidi Sanchez, who runs the Sunspot Visitor Center and is president of the Sunspot Community Center, told commissioners the site draws thousands of visitors each year and serves as a hub for outreach programs.
“Sunspot is more than just a telescope. It’s a complete science campus,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez said demolition would erase not only the telescope, but the entire site and its infrastructure. She said supporters hope another agency, institution or community-backed partnership could take over the property and give it a new purpose.
The Dunn Solar Telescope leak involved 186 pounds of mercury, according to the presentation. Doolin said that amount represented a small portion of the mercury used in the telescope’s bearing system, but said the leak triggered a major federal response.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Science Foundation said the agency is “working with contracting partners on finalizing the demolition, remediation, and mercury disposition plans for the Sacramento Peak Observatory in accordance with federal law.”
“Safety remains our top priority,” the statement said.
The agency said its decision to demolish and restore the observatory site was informed by an environmental review process that included public involvement and comment and addressed historic preservation requirements.
NSF also thanked the surrounding community for its long connection to the observatory.
“We are grateful to the community in and around Sunspot for their support and engagement with Sac Peak over the past 50 years,” the statement said. “Through their support, the observatory helped propel the nation’s leadership in solar science and scientific excellence.”
Supporters questioned why the entire site must be demolished and asked for more time to explore alternatives. They say they are in the early stages of building public support and hope to involve local, state and private partners in an effort to save the site.
They say the Sunspot, founded in 1947, is part of New Mexico’s scientific heritage and should be preserved if a new use can be found.
