DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEEP UNDERGROUND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LABORATORY (DUSEL)

Announcement of the impending closure of the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, SD, in 2000 led to the consideration of repurposing the site into a scientific laboratory. The mine had been the location of an underground neutrino laboratory for over 35 years, and the opportunity to convert the mine to a facility dedicated to science was particularly appealing. This event marked the beginning of the initiative to establish a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). Preservation and improvement of the site through resources provided by governmental and private funding has resulted in refurbishment of the shafts, pumping of the water from the underground, and preparation of space for an Early Implementation Program involving a number of physics, geoscience, and geomicrobiology investigations. Preparation for the main phase of laboratory development is currently in the preliminary design phase. This phase involves the conduct of geotechnical investigations for the laboratory rooms and the large excavations. These rooms and large cavities will host the physics experiments requiring protection from cosmic radiation. Interference from this source would cause unacceptable background in the detectors searching for neutrino reactions and dark matter. The design phase involves preparation of plans for outfitting of the laboratories, upgrading of the shafts, and planning the excavation design. This work will lead to the construction of a multi-disciplinary laboratory that will operate in excess of 30 years.