How will this underground laboratory be similar or different from the underground laboratories in Italy, Russia and Japan?
A13: The proposed underground laboratory will be most similar to the Russian laboratory, Baksan. The Baksan laboratory was built by tunneling under a mountain in the Caucasus, just as is proposed for Icicle Creek. The Italian laboratory at Gran Sasso uses a pre-existing highway tunnel, while the Japanese laboratory at Kamioka uses a horizontal-access mine. These other laboratories were built around 1980. DUSEL-Cascades will differ from them by being significantly deeper and significantly cleaner (in the sense of eliminating dust or any other potential contaminants that could interfere with measurements). Q14: Could a spill of chemicals, like that which recently occurred at the Italian Laboratory at Gran Sasso, occur at the proposed underground laboratory near Leavenworth? What was spilled? How much? What harm resulted? A14: The U.S. has a 40-year record of doing experiments deep underground. Many underground sites have been used, including the Homestake Mine in South Dakota, the Soudan
