Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory Site and Conceptual Design

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This proposes to develop a conceptual design plan for a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory, DUSEL, at the Henderson Mine at Empire, CO. The mine is owned by the Climax Molybdenum Company, a subsidiary of Phelps Dodge Corp. It is an operating mine, and is one of the largest in the world. The mining company owns all the land necessary for the DUSEL, including the tailings site, and has done all the permitting necessary to develop the DUSEL.A national organization, the Henderson Underground Science and Engineering Project (HUSEP) Collaboration has been formed to guide the development of the Henderson DUSEL. This would involve development of an upper campus, at a depth of 2500-3300 meters of water equivalent (mwe) for experiments requiring only a moderate overburden, a central campus at 4200 mwe for experiments requiring somewhat greater depth, and a lower campus at 6000 mwe for experiments requiring great depth. These would be developed in a mountain adjacent to that currently being mined, so would have access to all the infrastructure developed for the operating mine. The rock has been well characterized to a depth of 2500 mwe by a core drilling; it appears to be highly competent porphyritic granite with few fracture planes and little water.The local community is strongly supportive of Henderson DUSEL, and this plays into the education and outreach plans of the collaboration. An existing outreach program, involving the Snowmass Area Large Time-coincidence Array (SALTA) would be one component of this outreach, although its impact would be expanded by involving regional high school students and teachers. A visitor center would also be developed, and mine tours would be part of the program.