What will happen during a worst-case scenario accident, such as an underground explosion, earthquake or tunnel failure?
A18: In the case of an earthquake, deep underground is often one of the safest locations: there are many stories of miners returning to the surface, unaware that a devastating quake has occurred. The reason the underground laboratory will have two tunnels – with two separate atmospheres – is to guarantee that an escape route exists if an explosion or fire occurs. There will be “cross-cuts” linking the two tunnels every 500 yards, to allow a person to escape from one to the other. The emergency ventilation system will be capable of isolating and separately venting any area where a fire occurs. All occupied areas underground will have a refuge area. This is a room designed to safely isolate people, who then wait for rescue. A tunnel failure is almost unimaginable, but if one should occur, the second tunnel would be used. Another possible failure could be a rock slide covering the portal area. The portal has to be designed to withstand rock falls of a specified size, and positioned to min
