Hello friends, Exciting things are happening at America’s underground lab in Lead, S.D. At the site of the former Homestake Mine, The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) hosts world-leading research within the deepest underground laboratory in the United States. I believe that the transformation from mine to laboratory took place in 2004 under former Governor Mike Rounds with a very generous donation of 70 million dollars from Denny Sanford.
The groundbreaking research conducted at SURF lays the foundation for scientific discoveries that will drive innovation for decades to come. SURF is entirely dedicated to science and discovery, with no active mining. SURF’s 370 mile footprint provides vast potential for new lab space development. Nearly a mile of rock shields ultra-sensitive physics experiments from the cosmic rays on the surface.
Over 300 national and international institutions and more than 2300 scientists conduct research in physics, biology, geology, and engineering nearly one mile below the surface in the Davis lab. A few of the more than 30 groundbreaking experiments include: (1) DUNE-advanced neutrino experiment involving over 200 institutions (2) LUX-ZEPLIN the world’s largest dark matter detector (3) CASPAR- a particle accelerator that recreates the conditions inside stars (4) CUSSP-DEMO FTES research driving clean, affordable, enhanced geothermal energy systems (5) DEMMO- microbial studies of life in extreme environments Of the 30+ active research projects, 24 include S.D. universities. There are over 1200 jobs at the site and there will be over 2 billion dollars in economic impact by 2029.
The Dept. of Energy has a 30+ year commitment to SURF. For every 1 million dollars invested over 17 million dollars are returned. Over 16,000 students and teachers are reached annually in S.D. Professional development and STEM curriculum are two of the key areas served by the Institute for Underground Science at SURF.
Things are really picking up in the appropriations room, as we will take action on over 60 spending bills in the coming week.
In these challenging times, respect for one another, and keeping in mind what we have in common as South Dakotan’s helps us cooperate and work together for the future of this great state.
Until next week, keep smiling and helping others.