Sanford Underground Lab will see federal dollars for research

By Wendy Pitlick, Black Hills Pioneer
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NORTHERN HILLS - Up to $15 million in NSF funding promised to develop the final design for a federal underground laboratory only scratches the surface for financial commitments the federal agency could make toward research in the lab at Homestake, Dr. Tony Chan, assistant director of the National Science Foundation said Thursday. Chan explained that the NSF, along with other federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy, also may provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for multi-disciplinary research projects proposed for the state-run, interim lab at the 4,850-foot level of Homestake.

Chan was the key figure speaking during roundtable discussions hosted by Sen. John Thune at the S.D. School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, and at the S.D. Science and Technology Authority's administrative offices in Lead. The NSF assistant director was joined by Dr. John Kotcher, the program director of physics at the NSF who spearheaded the DUSEL concept; Dr. Bill Roggenthen of the S.D. School of Mines and Technology who serves as the co-principal investigator for the Homestake Collaboration; Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin; Matt Varilek, representing Sen. Tim Johnson; and Dave Snyder, executive director of the S.D. Science and Technology Authority. Audience members included members of the S.D. Board of Regents, representatives from the state's major universities, as well as local and state dignitaries and interested members of the Lead community.

During his remarks to crowds in Lead and Rapid City, Chan emphasized that the DUSEL concept is multi-disciplinary in nature. He also stressed that Homestake has already captured attentions from the international scientific community. Next week, he said, he plans to travel to Europe where he will speak with a captive audience about the possibilities a DUSEL will offer.

"I can guarantee you that South Dakota, Rapid City and Lead (are) already on the radar screen of the worldwide community of scientists," he said.

But while the scientific community is very excited about a DUSEL at Homestake, Chan also reminded the crowds that the site-selection is only the beginning of the long process that must take place before the facility comes into fruition. Classified as a Major Research and Equipment Facility Construction (MREFC) project, the underground laboratory is one of many large-scale developments which the NSF is considering. Other proposed projects include, but are not limited to, developing very large-scale optical telescopes and rebuilding the Internet to develop a more secure system.

Right now, Roggenthen explained that the Homestake Collaboration of about 300 scientists from around the globe are working on a proposal that they hope will secure NSF approval for construction and, ultimately, Congressional approval for funding the estimated $300 million underground laboratory. The NSF award of up to $5 million a year for three years will fund this effort that is focused on developing detailed site plans for the laboratory that will include staffing, engineering and construction plans, as well as construction estimates for the project and education outreach capabilities for the lab.

Sen. Thune also reported that he has secured a place on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees NSF operations. On that committee, Thune said he will be a strong voice in support of the DUSEL and other major scientific projects.

"We have an opportunity now to discover a lot of new types of science break throughs that are not only going to transform this area, but also the entire country and the entire world," Thune said. "We are very excited and Stephanie and I are anxious to get our sleeves rolled up and ready to go to work."

Herseth-Sandlin echoed Thune's remarks when she said members of the Congressional delegation are working hard to secure the DUSEL. "The commitment of the folks across the region and throughout the state can't be outdone," she said. "We know that we have a ways to go but we work together hand in hand to make sure that we're covering all bases and that we're sharing and facilitating types of information that can help demonstrate to the senators and my colleagues across the country the importance of this project not just to South Dakota, but to the country."

The National Science Foundation is no stranger to funding projects such as these, Chan said. In fact, he said the agency's mission is to fund basic science. Some examples of major research projects the NSF has funded include a radio telescope in Chile, and a $3 billion project in Louisiana and Washington to study gravitational waves that were once predicted by Einstein. This particular project, he said, could have great usefulness in GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies.

But what has the international scientific community buzzing with excitement, Chan said, is the possibility of a deep underground laboratory. Roggenthen explained that the lab will help physicists understand the complexities of the universe; help biologists possibly discover new life in the depths of the earth, as well as whether life originated underground; and help geologists understand how water flows underground. These are only a few of the questions which can be answered in the depths of the former Homestake Mine, he said.

"DUSEL is a major project for the NSF," Chan said. "I view the NSF as the venture capitalists of the federal government. We fund a lot of things. We don't know which ones will end up working out in the future, but we know it is important for our country and important for economic competitiveness in the future and it is important to inspire our young people who come to the area to come down the pipeline (for future science.)"

While visiting South Dakota Chan, as well as other representatives from the NSF, toured the surface facilities of the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory for the first time. In addition to being impressed with the superb facilities the former mine has to offer, Chan expressed great enthusiasm for the local and state support for the lab, citing that as major assets to the project.

"If we build one (a DUSEL) it will be here," Chan said. "I hope it will remain a gold mine, but this time it will be a gold mine for science."

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