Conceptual Design for DUSEL at Kimballton, Virginia Project Summary

Intellectual Merit of the Proposed Activity:

The Kimballton DUSEL site in SW Virginia offers unprecedented opportunities to conduct a broad range of research in fields that match well with preliminary technical infrastructure matrices established by the S1 process. The Kimballton site is hosted by sedimentary rocks, which cover about 3/4 of the earth's land surface. About 90% of the earth’s groundwater is currently being produced from sedimentary rocks. Nearly all (99+%) of the world’s hydrocarbon resources are hosted in sedimentary rocks, as well as 85% of underground mines. Sedimentary rocks and deep aquifers in sedimentary basins also constitute important reservoirs for carbon storage to address climate change issues that threaten the global economy. Kimballton meets the depth (shielding) and cavern size requirements of the physics community whose goals are to understand the origins and evolution of the Universe. At the same time, the geological characteristics of the Kimballton site are ideally suited for geoscience and engineering research related to issues of societal relevance, including water resources, climate change, carbon management, development of underground space, and the origin and exploration for hydrocarbon and other energy resources. Sedimentary rocks (and their contained fossil aquifers) that have been isolated from the earth’s surface for 100’s of millions of years similarly provide opportunities to study the limits of life on earth and survivability of life in extreme environments. The team assembled for the Kimballton S2 conceptual design planning effort includes over 60 internationally recognized experts in fields such as rock mechanics and underground construction, uncertainty and risk analysis/assessment, environmental assessment, public relations and consensus building, education and outreach, and management of major projects. The asssembled group also represents a significant investment by the Physics, Geoscience, Engineering and Biology divisions of the NSF.

Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity:

The conceptual design being developed for Kimballton DUSEL includes education and outreach (E&O) components that build upon successful local (e.g., VT Mobile Chemistry Laboratory) and national (e.g., NSF Earth Scope) programs, as well as E&O documents developed through the NUSL, NeSS and EarthLab workshops. Kimballton DUSEL provides an excellent opportunity to build Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) literacy for the public, K-16 students and teachers, local communities and other stakeholders as they learn how DUSEL projects are exploring the universe and our earth. Kimballton is an ideal location for such efforts because it is rural, while still offering accessibility to broad audiences through existing transportation and technology corridors: Kimballton is within a day’s drive for 50% of the U.S. population. The project will increase the broad recognition of Southern Appalachia as a place engaged in big science, complementing existing research centers such as the Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA), Huntsville, AL; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE), Oak Ridge, TN; the University of Tennessee-Knoxville; the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF); Green Bank, WV; and Virginia Tech. These and future initiatives represent a change from an economic base built upon the mineral extractive industries historically associated with the region, to a new, sustainable, economy based on science and technology. Professionals with broad experience in national and international E&O, as well as local involvement in grass roots programs within the southern Appalachian region, will lead this effort.

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CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR DUSEL AT KIMBALLTON, VIRGINIA

Introduction

The Kimballton DUSEL site in SWVirginia offers unprecedented opportunitiesto conduct a broad range of research infields that match well with preliminarytechnical requirements established by the S1process. Kimballton meets the needs of thephysics community whose goals are tounderstand the origins and evolution of theUniverse, and biologists whose research isrelated to the limits of life on Earth. At thesame time, the unique characteristics of theKimballton site are ideally suited forresearch related to issues of societalrelevance, such as water resources, climatechange, carbon management, developmentof underground space, and the origin andexploration for hydrocarbon energyresources. In this proposal we describe thosefeatures that make the Kimballton DUSELsite an ideal venue to address a broad rangeof fundamental and practical problems inscience and engineering.

Sedimentary rocks, such as those at theKimballton site, cover about 3/4 of theearth's land surface. About 90% of theearth’s groundwater is currently beingproduced from sedimentary rocks. Nearly all(99+%) of the world’s hydrocarbonresources are hosted in sedimentary rocks(with about half in carbonate rocks similarto Kimballton), and 85% of undergroundmines are in sedimentary rocks (MSHA,2002). Sedimentary rocks and deep aquifersin sedimentary basins constitute importantreservoirs for carbon storage to addressglobal warming issues. As modern societiescontinue to develop underground infra-structure and workspaces to minimize ener-gy use, address urban crowding, and combatglobal terrorism, the ability to safely andeconomically develop underground space inthe most prevalent near-surface rock typewill become increasingly important.

Figure 1. Location map for KimballtonDUSEL showing the location of theKimballton DUSEL portal; map (surface)location of underground campuses; and theHoges Chapel site of the proposed Visitorand Education Center.

Recently, the National Research Councilwas tasked with assessing the research needsof the engineering community with respectto rock fracture characterization and fluidflow. The committee concluded that:

In situ facilities should be developed in avariety of rock types with different styles offracturing. A number of excellent facilitiesalready exist in crystalline rocks, but thereis a dearth of in situ research facilities inbedded [sedimentary; ed.] rocks, especiallywhere more than one fluid phase is present.Consequently, less is known about how toeffectively characterize flow and transport

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in bedded rocks. Research at facilities inbedded rocks would have a significantimpact on understanding enhanced oil andgas recovery processes in fracturedreservoirs. (NRC, 1996)

The Kimballton DUSEL site can satisfy allcriteria currently being developed in the S1Phase of DUSEL, and will provide uniqueopportunities for research in physics, earthsciences, civil, environmental and miningengineering and microbiology, as well aseducation and outreach through a world-class Visitor and Education Center.

Appendices referred to in this proposal areavailable to the public at:http://www.phys.vt.edu/~kimballton/S2appendices

Summary of Extant Information on theKimballton Site

The Kimballton site is located south-western Virginia and is the only potentialDUSEL site in the eastern U.S. (Fig. 1). Theportal to the lab is 30 minutes from VirginiaTech, the largest (28,000 students) researchuniversity in the State of Virginia.Kimballton DUSEL is a 5-hour drivesouthwest from Washington, D.C. onInterstates 66 and 81 and is connected to I-81 via Route 460, a four-lane divided U.S.highway. The site offers an exceptionalcombination of research infrastructure,beautiful surroundings, low cost living, andpleasant climate. Outside Magazine(Grudowski, 2001) calls Blacksburg andsurrounding areas one of the “Ten DreamTowns-The Perfect Places to Live Big, PlayHard and Work (if you Must)” in the U.S.The nearest full service airport is theRoanoke Regional Airport, 64 km from thesite. The Virginia Tech Executive Airport islocated 30 minutes from the mine portal.Norfolk Southern Railway Companymaintains a major rail line within 8 km ofthe mine portal with a spur that runs to themine. Existing infrastructure includesadequate power, telecommunications andwater, as outlined in Appendix A.

The Chemical Lime Company and itspredecessors have been mining chemical-grade limestone at Kimballton for over 50years, with sufficient reserves for another 80years of mining at the current capacity.

Figure 2. Typical Kimballton Ramp 12.8 x 8m (top); typical stope in the KimballtonMine (bottom).

Approximately 80 km of undergroundworkings are currently open. Access tunnelsare a minimum of 12.8 m wide and 8 mhigh, with a 10% grade. Mined out stopesare up to 34 m high (Fig. 2). The Five OaksLimestone that is being mined is a strong,massive, unfractured rock that supports largeexisting underground chambers. The currentmine descends 365 m from the portal while

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the surface topography rises 335 m, so thatthe current maximum depth beneath thesurface is 700 m. The mine is relatively dryand has the great advantage that the littlewater that does enter the workings comes invia a few well-characterized fracturesassociated with a known fault, thusproviding an opportunity to conduct state-of-the-art research on fracture flow.

The deep portion (2290 m) of theproposed Kimballton DUSEL site liesdirectly under the highest part of ButtMountain (Fig. 3), approximately 1.5 kmsoutheast of the deepest workings in theKimballton Mine. The deep laboratorycampus location is under U.S. Forest Serviceland, and access tunnels to the site crossunder property controlled by Chemical LimeCompany and the U.S. Forest Service.Discussions have been ongoing with variousstakeholders to assure that the proposed sitewill be available to construct DUSEL. Apreliminary signed agreement has beennegotiated with Chemical Lime Companyfor access to the property. A low-levelcounting facility and NSF-fundedAMADEUS rock engineering study arecurrently in progress at Kimballton.

Geologically, Kimballton lies in theAppalachian foreland fold-thrust belt, withfolded sedimentary rock of Paleozoic agearranged in overlapping thrust sheets. Rocktypes are dominated by massive dolomiteand limestone, with minor shale andsandstone. A detailed summary of thegeology of the site is included in AppendixB. The locations of the undergroundcampuses and the access tunnels wereselected such that the only rock units thatwill be encountered during construction ofaccess tunnels and caverns are MiddleOrdovician limestone and the Knoxdolomite and limestone (Fig. 3). These rockshave unconfined compressive strengths of80-170 MPa (Appendix C), whichcorrespond to the "very strong"classification of Hoek (2000; Table 11-2).

A preliminary environmental analysishas been conducted to help assure that the

project’s oversight obligations are fulfilledand satisfy the rules and regulations of theNational Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).The preliminary NEPA checklist is includedas Appendix D. No obvious environmentalimpacts have been identified. The rock to beexcavated is dominantly limestone, the samerock used as aggregate and highway sub-grade in the construction industry – thisexcavated rock will be stored, eitherunderground or in a nearby abandonedquarry, and sold for aggregate as needed.The rock contains no trace elements that areknown to be carcinogens (such as As or Hg)or to pose other health risks. Water thatcurrently flows into the Kimballton Mine isof sufficient quality that it satisfies all EPArequirements and is pumped directly intoBig Stony Creek without treatment.

The Kimballton site is comparable to oroffers distinct advantages vis-à-vis otherpotential sites both inside and outside theUnited States. The site is ideally situated formeasurements of parameters critical toparticle physics. The list of frontierquestions raised in S1 that can be covered atKimballton includes experiments on baryonand lepton number nonconservation, studiesof dark matter, and neutrino astrophysics.Long baseline experiments using neutrinobeams from accelerator laboratories wouldform a significant part of the DUSEL pro-gram at Kimballton, with the promise ofaccurate determination of these criticalparameters, thereby providing answers tofundamental questions in particle physics.Details are provided in Appendix E.

The S1 physics infrastructure matrixspecifies depth (shielding) and cavern sizerequired for various experiments. Prelim-inary assessment of the geomechanical pro-perties of the rocks at Kimballton indicatesthat it is feasible to construct tunnels andlarge-volume caverns that satisfy theserequirements. It should be emphasized herethat large caverns in limestone have alreadybeen constructed at a depth of 1200 m

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Figure 3. Cross-section of the Butt Mountain Synclinorium, showing access and vent tunnels;shallow (1), central (2), and deep (3) campus locations, and 6000 mwe boundary (dashed line).

at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy (Fig. 4).Caverns of sufficient size to host most of thephysics experiments identified in the S1matrices already exist in the Kimballtonmine at 700 m and have remained stable forthe 50 years since they were originallyexcavated. Excellent rock mechanicalproperties, combined with the low U-Thcontents of the rocks, make Kimballton asuitable site to conduct neutrino and otherphysics experiments identified in S1 andother reports.

The ideal site for a broad range ofgeoscience, engineering and microbiologyresearch is one that offers access to largevolumes of fresh, homogeneous rock ofseveral lithologies. Some candidate DUSELsites are characterized by fresh, homo-geneous rock of only a single lithology,while others are characterized by highlyvariable but also highly altered(mineralized) lithologies that limit theeffectiveness of coupled-processexperiments that require an initially freshand well characterized rock mass in order toextract meaningful results. The diverse

geology of the Kimballton site,characterized by large volumes of fresh,homogeneous rock of variable lithology,provides a wider variety of researchopportunities and meets or exceeds the sitecharacteristic requirements identified in theS1 matrices. The presence of numerous andrepeating interfaces of various lithologies atincreasing depth (pressure) and temperatureprovide opportunities for scaling andcoupled-process experiments over a range oftemperature and pressure – such experi-ments are an important component of the S1earth science and engineering matrices. Thegeological and geomechanical properties ofthe Kimballton site thus meet the stringentneeds of the physics community in terms ofdepth or shielding and cavern size, as wellas provide an environment for world-classresearch in the geosciences, biosciences andengineering disciplines. A summary of theunique science and engineering oppor-tunities can be found in Appendix E.

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Figure 4. Hall C at LNGS, Italy. The hall isexcavated in dolomite and is 20x20x100 m.

The relative advantages and dis-advantages of greenfield versus brownfieldsites have been discussed at workshops overthe past year. A brownfield site (existingmine) might reduce the geologic unknownsassociated with developing caverns at therequired depth, and might facilitate “earlyscience”, but will also provide less flex-ibility in terms of designing space specifical-ly to meet research requirements and mayshow various types of physical and bio-logical contamination that might com-promise research. Conversely, greenfieldsites exhibit greater uncertainty with respectto subsurface conditions, but can bedesigned to maximize the flexibility of thelaboratory and provide the best opportunitiesfor expansion and future use, and provideaccess to ground that has not been disturbedand contaminated by drilling or miningactivities.

The Kimballton site offers advantages ofboth brownfield and greenfield sites. Largeunderground chambers at the existingKimballton Mine argue for the feasibility ofconstructing large, stable caverns inlimestone and provide suitable space toconduct early science (such as the NRL-VTlow background facility, the LENS proto-type, and the NSF-funded AMADEUSexperiments that are currently underway).Additionally, the mid- and deep-levelDUSEL campuses are essentially greenfield

sites that offer the flexibility for designingthe facility to maximize research potential.

Qualifications of the Team Relevant toDeveloping the Conceptual Model for

DUSEL at Kimballton

The Kimballton team includesapproximately 150 scientists, administratorsand public officials. The PI, co-PIs andsenior collaborators number approximately50. They are listed in SupplementaryMaterial.

The Kimballton DUSEL PI is Dr. MarkMcNamee, Provost and Vice-President forAcademic Affairs at Virginia Tech. Dr.McNamee is the chief academic officer ofthe largest research university in the State ofVirginia and has experience managing largeenterprises and budgets. His Ph.D. is inphysical chemistry and his research programfocuses on biochemistry and biophysics. Dr.McNamee provides the overall leadershipfor Kimballton DUSEL, and his participa-tion as PI reflects the strong commitment ofthe University to provide leadership andresources necessary for the success of thisproject.

The five co-PIs represent active andsuccessful researchers whose expertiseprovides the qualifications necessary todevelop a competitive conceptual design forKimballton. Co-PIs Vogelaar and Raghavanprovide leadership to assure that theconceptual design meets the requirementsand addresses issues relevant to the physicscommunity. Co-PIs Bodnar and Hatcher aresenior earth scientists who will lead theeffort to assure that the conceptual designmeets the needs of the geosciences andbiogeosciences communities. Co-PI Einsteinis a recognized expert in rock mechanics andassessing uncertainties associated withdevelopment of underground space. He willassure that the conceptual design includes allrisks that may be encountered duringconstruction of DUSEL, and identifycounter-measures to minimize theconsequences.

We have assembled an outstandinggroup of senior collaborators and other

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experts to ensure that all aspects of theconceptual design are considered. A keycomponent of the conceptual design isrelated to the construction of the tunnels andcaverns for the laboratory. The MiningEngineering and Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering Departments at Virginia Techare nationally ranked with several highlyqualified faculty who are members of ourteam, including Professors Westman,Mauldon, Dove and Gutierrez. In addition,we have supplemented this strong groupwith other leading experts in the field ofrock mechanics, including Dr. Evert Hoek(consultant from Vancouver, BritishColumbia) and Professor C. Derek Martin ofthe University of Alberta. Thesedistinguished experts have agreed to workwith the Kimballton team to identifyuncertainties associated with building anunderground laboratory at Kimballton, andto develop strategies to reduce risksassociated with changing conditions duringconstruction. We have also engaged Dr. LeePetersen of CNA Consultants to assist withdesigning the underground facility.

Plan for Developing the ConceptualDesign

The conceptual design will be developedto match preliminary information on thetechnical requirements for science andengineering established by the S1 process.This process will include plans fordeveloping the initial suite of experiments,the longer-term capability of the site beyondthe initial experiments, integration ofscientific and engineering communities, andinternational participation.

Plan for developing the initial suite ofexperiments:

The initial suite of experiments will beconsistent with preliminary criteria that havebeen developed during the S1 process.Physics experiments identified in S1 includesolar neutrino, neutrino mixing, double betadecay, dark matter, nuclear astrophysics,proton decay and multi-purpose detectors.Earth science and engineering experiment

modules have been characterized as shaftaccess and run-of-mine, pristine or perturbedlarge block experiments, remote very largeblock, drift structure, and deep earth probingexperiments. The Kimballton DUSEL willbe designed to accommodate as many of theproposed experiments as is feasible withinconstruction and funding limitations.

The initial suite of experiments willsatisfy the S1 requirements (or theirsuccessors). Specific experiments will bedecided by the broader scientific communitythrough a series of community-wideworkshops and letters of intent to prioritizeexperiments. This process will be all-inclusive and will lead to a broad consensuswithin the different disciplines representedby DUSEL.

Longer-term capability of the site:The Kimballton conceptual design

provides for flexibility to expand as newexperiments are proposed. The preliminaryvision of the conceptual design for DUSELat Kimballton involves a mid-depth campusat approximately 1200 m (4000 ft) beneathButt Mountain, and a deeper campus atapproximately 2300 m (7500 ft). The twocampuses will be designed to accommodatethe range of experiments identified in the S1matrices, and will provide space andflexibility to permit expansion as additionalexperiments are planned.

Large underground caverns in theexisting Kimballton Mine have remainedstable for the approximately 50 years themine has been in operation. Little rockbolting is used in the Kimballton Mine --and only in areas with high traffic (such asthe lunch room area) or where bad ground isoccasionally encountered. This recordsuggests that tunnels and caverns built aspart of DUSEL have a high probability ofremaining stable over the 30-50 yearlifetime of the laboratory.

Plans for integrating the scientific andengineering communities:

The commitment of the Kimballtonteam to integrating the science andengineering communities is emphasized by

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the large numbers of researchers from bothof these areas included in the list of seniorcollaborators. Furthermore, characterizationstudies proposed as part of the S2 process,as well as the initial suite of experiments tobe developed, include strong engineeringand science components.

Dr. Watts of the Dept. of Geology atRadford University will oversee theintegration of science and engineeringduring the S2 process and beyond. Dr. Wattsis highly qualified to lead this effort basedon his background, which includes degreesin Geology and Engineering Geology. Hecurrently conducts research in engineeringgeology, and is widely recognized as aleading expert in rock slope engineering.

International Cooperation:The Kimballton team brings extensive

experience in multi-national undergroundresearch and construction projects, frommicrobiology to $100 million physicsexperiments to billion dollar undergroundcivil works. The level of cooperationrequired for such projects, as well as theenabling aspects for new and excitingresearch of multi-national participation,makes international cooperation key forsuccess of DUSEL.

Geoscientists and engineers from aroundthe world will conduct research at DUSELif, and only if, the facility offers researchopportunities that are not available at otherlocations, such as existing mines. Forexample, a DUSEL sited in an existing orformer metal mine would represent one ofseveral thousand such opportunitiesworldwide and would be less likely to attractinternational (or even national) participation.However, if the DUSEL is sited in whatwould be considered fresh, unaltered andunmineralized rock that researchers couldaccess from various directions in thesubsurface, this would truly represent aunique research opportunity. [Such facilitiesdo not exist because mining companiesfrown on spending hundreds of millions ofdollars to excavate caverns in rock that hasno economic value.] Fundamental questionsrelated to fluid flow, ore-forming processes,

origin and exploration for hydrocarbonoccurrences, microbiology and rockmechanics, among others, require aninitially fresh rock mass that can beperturbed under known and carefullycontrolled conditions. The KimballtonDUSEL site provides such opportunities,and as such would attract researchers fromaround the world.

Developing a Comprehensive Plan toAddress Site-Based Issues

The S2 process will identify and addresssite-based issues associated withconstruction of DUSEL at Kimballton.Topics include geological and geotechnicalconditions, environmental issues, safety andhealth issues, permitting, assessing localcommunity support and opposition, sharinginfrastructure with non-laboratory entities,uncertainty, and the timeliness and costs ofconducting the preceding activities.

Geological Characterization:A major focus of the S2 effort will be to

better characterize the geologic andtunneling conditions for the laboratory inorder to minimize uncertainty duringconstruction. The surficial geology of theKimballton site has been studied in detailand the layered and folded stratigraphyresults in abundant outcrops that permitextrapolation into the subsurface. Limiteddeep seismic investigations recentlycompleted on Butt Mountain in preparationfor the S2 submission, and deep bore holesand seismic imaging studies of this samepackage of rocks elsewhere in the southernAppalachians, have confirmed the basicgeological model shown in Fig. 3.Additional geologic and engineeringcharacterization will be conducted as part ofthe S-2 process to further reduce uncertaintyand to better plan for facility design andconstruction.

Mr. William Henika, who is recentlyretired from the Virginia Division ofMineral Resources and holds an AdjunctFaculty position in the Department ofGeosciences at Virginia Tech, will lead the

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geological characterization task during S2.He is widely recognized as a leading expertin the geology of the southern Appalachians.Geoscientists, engineering geologists andengineers on the Kimballton Team will workclosely with Mr. Henika to plan andimplement the geological characterizationprocess. Members of the KimballtonConceptual Design Activities team will leadsub-tasks of this process.

The S2 process involves several sub-tasks to better characterize the geology androck mechanics / tunneling conditions atdepth and to provide input for uncertaintyanalyses associated with KimballtonDUSEL. Work to be accomplished as partof this procedure is summarized as follows:

1. A core hole will be drilled from the topof Butt Mountain to the deep campuslocation to confirm the geology over theentire 2100 m from the surface to thedeep campus. The drilling effort will becoordinated by Drs. Burbey andMauldon. Sonic logging and resistivitylogging will be conducted to betterconstrain rock strength and lithologicvariability at depth. Temperature andfluid conductivities will be investigatedunder ambient and pumping conditionsto identify active fracture networks, andan optical televiewer will provideinformation on fracture apertures andorientations. This information is criticalto assessing changing conditions thatmight be encountered during tunnelingand cavern excavation. Borehole flowmeters will measure water inflows. Thisinformation will be used to design theoptimum tunneling methodology andoperational criteria.

2. The proposed laboratory design includesa tunnel adjacent to the operatingKimballton Mine, with the portal onmine property and one or moreconnections to the existing mine. Toconfirm the feasibility of this model, oneor more shallow drill holes will belocated in the vicinity of the proposedportal site to identify potential ground

entry challenges. These holes provideadditional information on lithology, rockquality, fracture characteristics and thepotential to intersect water-bearingzones during construction. The shallowdrilling effort will be coordinated byDrs. Burbey and Dove, in collaborationwith the geological staff at theKimballton Mine.

3. Fracture data from the existing Kim-ballton mine will continue to becollected and analyzed to supplementdata already collected from nearbyquarries and road cuts. This informationis needed to help predict structuralfeatures that might be encountered in thesame rock units at depth during tunnelconstruction. Dr. Mauldon willcoordinate this effort.

4. Preliminary analysis of aerialphotography and digital elevationmodels indicate widely spacedlineaments representing steeply dippingfractures. To reduce the uncertaintyassociated with tunnel construction inthe vicinity of these lineaments,electrical resistivity studies will beconducted to help constrain the depthsto which the fractures extend, and maybe extrapolated to greater depths basedon information obtained from othercharacterization studies. This work willbe conducted by Dr. William Seaton ofATS, Inc. and will be coordinated byDr. Watts.

5. A deep seismic survey conducted during2004 provided confirmation of thesubsurface geology in the vicinity of theproposed lab. Additional seismic studiesare not currently included in our S2geological characterization plans, butmay be conducted if results of the deepdrilling program indicate inconsistencieswith the inferred subsurface geology. Ifsuch studies are required, the task willbe led by Drs. Imhof and Hole.

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Virginia Tech will provide funding forthe geological characterization studiesdescribed above (see letter from Dr. BradFenwick, Vice President for Research atVirginia Tech, in Supplementary Materials).This represents a significant investment byVirginia Tech into the DUSEL effort, andreflects the strong support of the University.

Environmental assessment:The S2 process will involve an in-depth

assessment of environmental impactsassociated with construction and operationof DUSEL at Kimballton. In preparation forthis activity, the Kimballton team hascontracted with Schnabel Engineering toprepare an environmental impact checklistfor the site. The environmental impactchecklist was developed and implementedbased on National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) protocol for preliminary assessmentof projects that are being considered forFederal funding – the completed checklist isincluded as Appendix D. The intent andapproach used in completing the NEPAChecklist was to take as broad a view asreasonably possible of the various aspects ofthe proposed action. This provided for bothan initial appraisal of the project and thedevelopment of the scope for theenvironmental impact assessment to followin S2, where a more detailed evaluation ofthe critical elements will be performed.

Safety and Health Issues:The mission statement for safety and

health at Kimballton DUSEL is as follows:Through proactive training and properfacility design by experienced engineers, thelife safety and health of each individualworking at Kimballton DUSEL will not becompromised. This guiding vision will beused during each phase of construction andoperation.

During S2, health and safety issues willbe addressed and appropriate programsimplemented through the following tasks. 1)Assess life safety requirements per nationaland local building codes. 2) Develop andincorporate design-level life safety elementsincluding, but not limited to: multiple routes

of egress to underground spaces; smokeproof areas of refuge along access routes;smoke detection, control, and exhaustsystems; sprinkler systems; emergencypower and lighting; and personnel trackingsensors. 3) Implement worker and visitorsafety training and monitoring procedures.4) Work to develop common health andsafety procedures for the mine portions ofthe laboratory. 5) Develop containmentdesigns, emergency response procedures andprotocols for handling flammable materials,cryogens and oxygen-displacing gases. 6)Develop procedures for safe transport ofmaterials from the surface to the under-ground laboratory and incorporate these intothe facility design. The plan for addressingsafety and health is included as Appendix F.

Permitting:A preliminary study was conducted to

identify points of contact, lead agencies orjurisdictions, and requirements for permits.During S2, the complete process foracquiring the required permits will beundertaken. Details are included inAppendix G and summarized below.1. Access Permits. The portal and surface

campus are located on property owned bythe Chemical Lime Co. The undergroundcampus and access tunnels will belocated on land owned by the U.S. ForestService land, and the agency is aware ofthe Kimballton DUSEL project (seeattached letter from District RangerCynthia Schiffer). During the summer,2004, permits were obtained from theUSFS for geophysical imaging on top ofButt Mountain. Faculty at Virginia Techhave a long and well-establishedrelationship with the local USFS office.

2. Construction permits from Giles Countywill be required.

3. While not specifically a permit,completion and review of the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA)process is required (see discussion in thesection on Environmental Issues).

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4. Approval of a Soil Erosion and SedimentControl plan is required of landdisturbing activities prior to issuance of aconstruction permit.

5. Air quality permits may be required forair discharges during construction and fornormal ventilation during operation.Specific requirements will be discussedwith US Environmental ProtectionAgency Region III and the Virginia Dept.of Environmental Quality (VADEQ).

6. Water quality discharge permits andcertifications under Sections 401, 402and 404 of the Clean Water Act may benecessary during construction for poten-tial discharge into Big Stony Creek. TheUS Army Corps of Engineers and theVADEQ have jurisdiction over thesepermits.

Rock Disposal. Several options exist forexcavated rock disposal, including: 1)reutilization, 2) stockpiling in nearby unusedquarries, and 3) stockpiling in unusedexcavations underground. Limestone anddolomite meets durability requirements forhighway aggregate, and thus could be soldto material suppliers. It is understood fromdiscussions with VADEQ that stockpiling inunused quarries is exempt from landfillpermitting and monitoring requirements.Permitting requirements for undergroundstorage of excavated rock materials wouldbe evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Rocktransport and disposal is not an issue atKimballton.

Assessing local public support:A significant effort has already begun to

engage the local community and to solicitinput. Informational meetings have beenheld with various stakeholders in the NewRiver Valley and Giles County. Theresponse to date has been overwhelminglysupportive. Support letters from Mr. ChrisMcKlarney, County Administrator for GilesCounty, Mr. William Aden, President of theBlacksburg Partnership, Ms. AnnettePerkins, Chairperson of the New River

Planning District Commission, and from Dr.Steven Craig, President of the Giles CountyRural Development Group are included inthe Supplementary Materials.

During the S2 planning process, Dr.James Phillips, Director of the ConflictResolution Institute at the L. DouglasWilder School of Government and PublicAffairs at Virginia Commonwealth Univer-sity at Richmond, Virginia, will lead theeffort to assess public support for oropposition to DUSEL Kimballton. Dr.Phillips specializes in providing a widerange of conflict and dispute resolutionservices to Federal, State, and localgovernment agencies that are engaged incitizen participation processes to minimizepublic opposition to proposed publicprojects. The Institute also providesservices to citizens seeking to provide inputand comment on proposed public projectsand programs. Dr. Phillips is a formerAssistant Attorney General of Virginia andhas over 15 years of experience in resolvingprotracted policy and legal issues involvingthe public.

In addition to local support, theKimballton DUSEL project enjoysunprecedented support at both State andFederal government levels. The revised2004-2006 biennial budget of VirginiaGovernor Warner includes a request for a$150 million bonding authority. Thelanguage of the budget document states that“the Commonwealth shall issue bonds,through an existing economic developmentauthority or authority established for suchpurpose, for construction and infrastructureof said project in an amount not to exceed$150 million.” This request has beenapproved and is included as a provision inthe appropriations act. While the Statefunding will not decrease NSF’s fundingobligation to DUSEL, it will allowconstruction to begin immediately uponapproval of the project, and will permit NSFto spread construction costs over severalyears as the bonds are retired.

Kimballton DUSEL also has the supportof the Virginia Congressional delegation,including the U.S. Senators, as evidenced by

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the support letters included in Supplemen-tary Materials. We wish to emphasize thatthe State and Federal support for DUSEL isnot intended to circumvent the normal peerreview process. Rather, we simply wish toinform the scientific community that ifKimballton DUSEL is found to besatisfactory from the science andengineering perspective, construction ofDUSEL will not be hindered by localcommunity opposition, and will have Stateand Federal support to secure funding andpermitting for the laboratory. Without theseassurances, construction times could beincreased by years or decades, andconstruction costs could increase by billionsof dollars, as evidenced by the significantdelays and cost escalation experienced bythe Yucca Mountain Nuclear WasteRepository because of local community andState of Nevada opposition to the project.

Sharing Infrastructure:At the present time, the Kimballton team

is sharing infrastructure with the KimballtonMine to conduct low-level countingexperiments in collaboration with the NavalResearch Laboratory. Preliminary plans forDUSEL at Kimballton involve constructinga tunnel on Chemical Lime property (seeFig. 1), adjacent to the active mineworkings, with one or more tunnelsconnecting into the existing mine. Theconnecting tunnels will improve ventilationfor the existing Kimballton Mine, andprovide an additional emergency egressfrom the eastern area of the mine workings.The connecting tunnels may also be used totransport rock excavated during constructionof the DUSEL tunnels and caverns. Emptystopes in the Kimballton mine are onepossible means of disposing of waste rockfrom tunnel and cavern construction.Further details related to shared infrastruc-ture will be investigated during the S2process.

Uncertainty:An important aspect of the S2 process is

to develop a plan to accommodateuncertainty associated with changed

conditions encountered during construction.These uncertainties will affect cost and timeto build and operate the laboratory, and mayinclude:

- Political and regulatory uncertaintiesincluding future changes

- Geology and other environmentalconditions

- Construction processes- Operational (management) processes- Experimental technology- Experimental errors

It is absolutely essential that uncertaintiesand their effects are clearly identified andthat the laboratory management planincludes processes that minimize theuncertainties and their consequences.Developing the structure of these processesand management plans will be a central partof the proposed S2 work.

Co-PI Einstein of MIT will lead the taskto develop the plan to address uncertaintyand risk associated with construction andoperation of the Kimballton DUSEL. Dr.Einstein is an acknowledged leader in thisarea (see bio-sketch). A detailed descriptionof the process that will be followed toaddress uncertainties associated with theconstruction and operation of KimballtonDUSEL is included in Appendix H.

The methodology for riskidentification/assessment, risk analysis andrisk management is well established andpractical applications to similarly complexprojects have been demonstrated. Theprocess to identify uncertainty will besimilar to that used by the Washington StateDepartment of Transportation for its majorprojects (Reilly et al., 2004), or otherprojects such as the Great Belt Tunnel inDenmark, a VECP for a section of theBoston CAT project, or DOE projects.

The consequences of uncertainty areusually expressed in terms of cost and timebut can also be expressed as multi-attributeutilities (Keeney & Raiffa, 1976).Uncertainties and consequences will then becombined in the risk assessment/analysisphase, either formally (quantitative

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probabilistic risk assessment) or semi-formally (characterization of risks relative toeach other). This will be done starting at theaggregate level and then working towardmore details. An example of a successfulapplication at the intermediate and detailedlevel is the DAT (Decision Aids forTunnelling; Einstein, 2004) that allowsassessment of geologic and constructionuncertainties and their financial and timerelated consequences.

With the structures, processes and toolsdiscussed above and in Appendix H, theDUSEL management and the fundingagencies will be provided with completeinformation on the overall uncertainties andassociated financial and time related risks aswell as other (environmental e.g.) risks. Theprocess will also include the identification ofcountermeasures, their mitigating effectsand the associated uncertainties (a countermeasure may not reduce the risk with 100%certainty). Countermeasures can be eitheractive (reducing initial uncertainties) orpassive (reducing the consequences) or both.

A structure based on establishedmethodology and, to some extent, onpractical applications will be developed inPhase 2, which will allow one to assess theeffect of countermeasures in reducing therisks. This will, in its practical implemen-tation in Phase 3, allow the decision makerto examine the effect of differentcountermeasures. Examples are additionalexploration to reduce geologic uncertainties,requesting legal rulings regarding regula-tions to reduce associated uncertainties, andtechnical modifications of experiments.

Because it will be impossible to removeall uncertainties prior to construction andoperation of the laboratory, it will benecessary to have a feedback process inplace. Specifically, the construction andoperation components that are uncertain, forinstance, the geology during construction,will be monitored and countermeasures putin place. The underlying concept andmethodology is well known, and practicalprocesses are used extensively and will beexpanded to fit the DUSEL managementprocess.

Developing, Maintaining and Operating theInfrastructure:

Developing the timelines and costs forthe full DUSEL construction is an iterativeprocess that the DUSEL community hasbeen engaged in at various sites over thepast several years. Many of the basicinfrastructure requirements are common toall sites. We plan to make full use of thecollective wisdom and specific knowledgegained by the community so far. Tofacilitate this effort, we have engaged Dr.Lee Petersen of CNA Consulting andAssociates (see preliminary design report inAppendix I). They have been active in theongoing S1 process and are aware of theneeds of the scientific and engineeringcommunities and have a clear understandingof the process that will be followed to designand construct DUSEL.

Each site will develop its own strategyto satisfy the broadest range of S1 technicalrequirements, consistent with the localgeology, code environment, and existingfacilities. The ongoing Kimballton DUSELdevelopment program, including the work tobe completed as part of S2, will furtherconstrain costs and timelines and reduce theuncertainties associated with construction ofDUSEL at Kimballton.

The project manager, in conjunctionwith the risk analysis team and professionalfirms such as CNA will develop, update, anddistribute for critical review the timelinesand costs and make revisions accordingly.

A major activity during the S2 projectperiod will be to develop a plan to maintainand operate the DUSEL facility, includingliability and insurance issues. The model formaintenance and operation of KimballtonDUSEL will build upon models that havebeen used successfully at similar facilitiesdomestically and abroad. The planningeffort will be led by Dr. Ray Martin, who isthe former CEO and President of SchnabelEngineering Associates. Dr. Martin hasconsiderable experience in managing largeprojects and will provide guidance andadvice in developing a plan to maintain andoperate DUSEL at Kimballton.

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Education, Human Resource Developmentand Outreach:

Kimballton DUSEL provides anexcellent opportunity to build Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math(STEM) literacy for the public as they learnhow DUSEL projects are exploring theuniverse and our earth. This is a uniquelocation for such efforts because it is rural,while still offering accessibility to broadaudiences through existing transportationand technology corridors: Kimballton iswithin a day’s drive for 50% of the U.S.population. (NRVPDC, 2004). This projectwill increase the broad recognition ofSouthern Appalachia as a place engaged inbig science, complementing existing centerssuch as the Marshall Space Flight Center,Huntsville, AL (NASA), Oak RidgeNational Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (DOE),the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, theNational Radio Astronomy Observatory,Green Bank, WV, and Virginia Tech. Theseand future initiatives represent a changefrom an economic base built upon themineral extractive industries historicallyassociated with the region, to a new,sustainable, economy based on science andtechnology. An important component ofDUSEL Kimballton E&O will be a world-class visitor and education center. GilesCounty has offered any or all of a 650 acreparcel of land on Route 460 at Hoges Chapel(Fig. 1) to locate the center and any othersurface facilities associated with DUSEL.

The immediate proximity of VirginiaTech, a major research university, to thismajor interdisciplinary science facility issynergistic in many ways, includingeducation and outreach (E&O) capitalizingon the land-grant mission of Virginia Tech.We will embrace E&O from the outset tohave an early impact on understanding ofthis complex project. We will seek inputfrom E&O advisory groups to make mosteffective use of resources. Staff will bededicated to integrating E&O into theplanning, design, construction, andimplementation of K-DUSEL, as well as itsongoing research programs.

NSF and other agencies have identifiedScience, Technology, Engineering, andMath (STEM) education as a critical need inour nation (NSB, 2004). To meet scienceand engineering workforce needs andencourage future economic development, wewant to inspire male and female studentsand citizens in the Southern Appalachiansand rural America to pursue the learningneeded in science and technology careers.Inclusion of this diversity would be adeliberate focus of E&O from K-DUSEL.Additional information about short- andlong- range E&O plans and potentialprojects can be found in Appendix J.

Dr. Susan Pfiffner of the University ofTennessee and Ms. Llyn Sharp of VirginiaTech will lead the E&O effort. Both areexperienced science education professionals.Pfiffner has worked with other undergroundoutreach experiences and is well networkedin the USL world, enabling her to easily callon colleagues. She is an active scientist,with a PhD in microbial ecology. Sharpworks for VT as a science outreachcoordinator in southwestern Virginia and isfamiliar with local and State K-12 networksand needs, as well as the university researchenvironment. She has also planned indoorand outdoor interpretive facilities anddesigned many educational programs fordiverse audiences.

During the S2 funding period (August2005-February 2006) K-DUSEL E&Oactivities will include:(1) Provide forums to facilitate commun-

ication, information exchange, anddiscussion for local citizens and decision-makers and establish a connection tocommunities. Conduct project scoping or“town meetings” to do preliminary needsassessments for different audiences, andto build partnerships for planning follow-on work at K-DUSEL.

(2) Hold a workshop with these partners andother stakeholders such as: other relatedprojects, teachers, decision-makers,students and faculty, scientists, technicalprofessionals, and community decision-leaders to further develop E&O programsto fit the community’s needs and have

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community involvement in facilitiesplanning. Document the E&O plan, usinga website for dissemination and feedback.

(3) Maintain E&O engagement in facilitiesplanning and design to incorporate E&Oguidelines and continue E&O staff par-ticipation in S3 proposal development.

(4) Develop and distribute informationalmaterials about K-DUSEL and thesciences and technologies involved.Materials would be used as the basis formedia releases and presentations tointerested groups locally and regionally.Establish an E&O web presence offeringgeneral information as well as additionalresources for K-12 teachers.

Economic Impact:While not specifically requested in the

S2 solicitation, we will conduct an in-deptheconomic impact assessment of DUSEL atKimballton. It is expected that DUSEL willhave a major economic impact on Gilescounty, as well as the broader New RiverValley (NRV). Construction costs areestimated in the hundreds of millions ofdollars over a three to five year period, withthe majority of the workforce drawn fromwithin the NRV. The annual operatingbudget of the facility is projected at $25million annually for at least 40 years. Thisbudget includes the employment of apermanent staff of about 75, mostly inskilled professional, technical, andadministrative positions. Further, the annualscience budget is projected at $25 million,including several hundred visitingresearchers per year. An Education andVisitor Center is projected to attract severalhundred thousand visitors per year.

Dr. Brad Mills will lead the economicimpact assessment task. Dr. Mills hasconsiderable experience in this area, andrecently completed an assessment of theeconomic impact of Virginia Tech on theNew River Valley.

Management Plan for the Planning Effort

A management plan for the planningeffort has been developed that involves a

hierarchy of management personnel, withindividual tasks being led by experiencedexperts in that area. The plan includes aclear understanding of the roles andresponsibilities of the PI and co-PIs in theplanning process. Also included is anoutline of the costs and the timelines tocomplete the various activities.

During the planning effort, Dr. JohnWilson, Assistant Vice President forAdministration in the Research Division atVirginia Tech, will serve as the InterimProject Manager for Kimballton DUSELuntil a search for a permanent manager iscompleted. The Project Manager will workto implement the plans of the PIs to meettheir goals, and manage the distribution ofresources to assure that tasks are completedin a timely and cost-effective manner.During the S2 process, regular meetings,teleconferences, interim reports and otheractivities will be scheduled to assure thatprogress is being made towards goalsdefined as part of the S2 process.

Responsibilities of the PIs:The responsibility of the PIs is to

establish the goals to be achieved during theS2 process. The PIs are further responsiblefor interacting with the Project Manager toassure that these goals are achieved. Onemajor goal to be achieved during this pro-cess is to establish a management plan forKimballton DUSEL. The PIs will workclosely with the Conceptual Design Activ-ities Task Leaders to assure that goals of S2are completed within the time and at costsset forth in this proposal. An externalAdvisory Board will be established toprovide advice and guidance during thisprocess.

Timeliness and Cost of Carrying out S2Activities:

With an endeavor of the magnitude andcomplexity of DUSEL, it is not possible tostop and start activities to match perfectlywith arbitrary (and unknown) project startdates. Development of the conceptual designfor Kimballton DUSEL is a continuousprocess that began in March 2004. These

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activities are now moving forward and willcontinue through the six-month S2 fundingperiod, which we anticipate to be August2005 through January 2006. Some activities,such as the deep core hole from the top ofButt Mountain, require considerable lead-time to arrange for a drilling contractor andnecessary permits, and to evaluate theresults following completion of the hole. Assuch, we will initiate this task immediately,with the cost to be borne by Virginia Tech.Other tasks, such as other geological andengineering characterization studies,environmental assessment under the NEPAprocess, surface lab planning and design,

and permitting will be conducted mostlyduring the S2 project period. All activitiesdescribed in this proposal as part of the S2process will be completed by the end of theS-2 project period, which is estimated to beFebruary 1, 2006.

The total cost of activities to beconducted during S2 is estimated to be$2.665 million. The differential between thisamount and funding provided by NSF willbe provided by Virginia Tech. Costs andtimelines of major activity categories aresummarized in Table 1, with additionaldetails provided in Appendix K.

Table 1: Timelines and Costs for Kimballton DUSEL ActivitiesYear and Quarter

Cost 2004 2005 2006 2007Item $1,000’s 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1

Subsurface Characterization 1,845.0(1)

Underground Lab Planning & Design(2) 100.0Surface Lab Planning & Design(2) 80.0Environmental Assessment 70.0Permitting 40.0Risk Analysis & Uncertainties 40.0Public Relations 70.0Administration 50.0Personnel 190.0First Science 80.0Science & Engineering Integration 10.0Outreach & Education 60.0Economic Impact 30.0Total Cost of S2 Activities $2,665.0

Notes:1. Budget numbers are for S2 activities only.2. See Work Breakdown Structures for a more complete list of design tasks.3. Assumed S2 performance period from 4th quarter 2005 until 1st quarter 2006.4. Assumed S3 performance period from 4th quarter 2006 until 2nd quarter 2007.

Summary

The 150+ member Kimballton team isconvinced that a Kimballton DUSEL bestcaptures the desired synergy between allinterested NSF divisions, as evidenced inour strong letters of support for this

initiative. Kimballton DUSEL represents aunique opportunity to build a world-classfacility that will attract top scientists foryears to come and become a leadingcomponent of the NSF researchinfrastructure.

References Einstein, H. H. 2004. The Decision Aids for Tunneling (DAT) – An Update.

Transportation Research Record, No. 1892, pp. 199-207. Grudowski, M. 2001. “Dream Towns 2001 Welcome to your New Backyard: The

Perfect Places to Live Big, Play Hard, and Work (if you must)”. Outside Magazine 26:5. September 2001. pp 58-60.

Hoek, Evert. 2000. Field Estimates of Uniaxial Compressive Strength, Table 11-2, p.

166. Practical Rock Engineering. RocScience: 313 pp. http://www.rocscience.com/hoek/PracticalRockEngineering.asp. Accessed 2/25/2005.

Keeney, R.L.; Raiffa, H. 1976. Decision Analysis with Multiple Conflicting Objectives,

Wiley and Sons, N.Y. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 2005. Top 500 Supercomputer Sites.

http://www.top500.org/lists/plists.php?Y=2004&M=11. Accessed 2/27/2005. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). 2002. Distribution of Mines by Type

of Operation and Commodity. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/data/tables/mine.html. Accessed 2/25/2005.

National Research Council. 1996. Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary

Understanding and Applications, Committee on Fracture Characterization and Fluid Flow. NRC Press: 568 pp.

National Science Board. 2004. “An Emerging and Critical Problem of the Science and

Engineering Labor Force” A Companion to the National Science and Engineering Indicators 2004. NSB 04-07. http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsb0407/start.htm.

New River Valley Planning District Commission (NRVPDC). 2004. Regional Data

Book. http://www.nrvpdc.org/04DataBook/04DataBook.htm. Accessed 2/21/2005. Reilly, J., McBride, M.;Sangrey, D., MacDonald, D., Brown, J. 2004. The Development

of a New Cost-Risk Estimating Procedure for Transportation Infrastructure Projects, Civil Engineering Practice, Vo. 19, No. 1.

Note: Letters of commitment for the above senior collaborators can be found in the following pages.

Kimballton-DUSEL Senior Collaborators

Collaborator Institutional Affiliation Field

Mark G. McNamee (PI) Virginia Tech biochemistry; Provost, Virginia Tech Robert J. Bodnar (co-PI) Virginia Tech geosciences Herbert H. Einstein(co-PI) MIT engineering; rock mechanics Robert D. Hatcher (co-PI) University of Tennessee geosciences; structural geology Raju S. Raghavan (co-PI) Virginia Tech physics; neutrinos Robert B. Vogelaar(co-PI) Virginia Tech physics; weak interactions

John S. Wilson Virginia Tech Kimballton-DUSEL project manager

William A. Aden Draper Aden Associates engineering; surface infrastructure Nicholas R. Barton Nick Barton & Associates engineering; rock mechanics Dennis A. Bazylinski Iowa State University biology; microbiology Jay B. Benziger Princeton University engineering; chemical purification Jeff C. Blackmon Oak Ridge National Laboratory physics; nuclear astrophysics Antonio Bobet Purdue University engineering; rock mechanics Doug A. Bowman Virginia Tech computer science;geological modelingThomas J. Burbey Virginia Tech geosciences; hydrogeology Arthur E. Champagne University of North Carolina physics; nuclear astrophysics Lay Nam Chang Virginia Tech physics; high energy theory Martin C. Chapman Virginia Tech geosciences; seismology Gang Chen University of Alaska engineering; rock mechanics John A. Chermak Virginia Tech geosciences; environmental studies Kimberly L. Davis University of Tennessee education, outreach Emmanuel Detournay University of Minnesota engineering; hydraulic fracturing Joseph E. Dove Virginia Tech engineering; geoengineering Derek Elsworth Pennsylvania State University engineering; rock mechanics Alfredo Galindo-Uribarri Oak Ridge National Laboratory physics; solar neutrinos David P. Genereux North Carolina State University geosciences; hydrogeology Leonid N. Germanovich Georgia Institute of Technology engineering; rock mechanics Leslie S. Gertsch University of Missouri-Rolla engineering; mining engineering Frank Giovane Naval Research Laboratory physics; ultra-low background devicesMarte S. Guiterrez Virginia Tech engineering; rock mechanics William S. Henika Virginia Tech geosciences; structural geology Evert Hoek Evert Hoek Cons. Engineer Inc. engineering; rock mechanics

Note: Letters of commitment for the above senior collaborators can be found in the following pages.

Kimballton-DUSEL Senior Collaborators, continued

Collaborator Institutional Affiliation Field

John A. Hole Virginia Tech geosciences;seismic imaging,tectonicsMatthias G. Imhof Virginia Tech geosciences;seismic imaging,tectonicsGary K. Jacobs Oak Ridge National Laboratory environmental science Yuri A. Kamyshkov University of Tennessee physics; nucleon decay Thomas L. Kieft New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Tech. biology; geomicrobiology Richard A. Kroeger Naval Research Laboratory physics; ultra-low background devicesJohn G. Learned University of Hawaii physics; nucleon decay, neutrinos C. Derek Martin University of Alberta engineering; geotechnical Ray E. Martin Schnabel Engineering engineering; geotechnical Matthew Mauldon Virginia Tech engineering; geotechnical Stefano Mazzoli University of Naples geosciences; structural geology Amitabh Mishra Virginia Tech engineering; electrical Biswarup Mukhopadhyay Virginia Tech biology; evolutionary microbiology Lawrence C. Murdoch Clemson University engineering; geomechanics Lothar Oberauer Tech. Universität München physics;neutrinos,nuclear astrophysicsSandip Pakvasa University of Hawaii physics; neutrinos Wayne D. Pennington Michigan Tech. University geosciences; seismology Susan M. Pfiffner University of Tennessee education, outreach Tommy J. Phelps Oak Ridge National Laboratory biology; microbial ecology James D. Phillips Virginia Commonwealth U. public policy and community relationsMark L. Pitt Virginia Tech physics; weak interactions Jean-Claude Roegiers University of Oklahoma geosciences; rock mechanics Kate Scholberg Duke University physics; neutrinos S. Llyn Sharp Virginia Tech education, outreach Stefan M. Spanier University of Tennessee physics; neutrinos Tatsu Takeuchi Virginia Tech physics; high energy theory Werner Tornow Duke University physics; double-beta decay Roger M. Turpening Michigan Tech. University geosciences; seismic imaging Frans F. von Feilitzsch Tech. Universität München physics;neutrinos,nuclear astrophysicsChester Watts Radford University geosciences; engineering geology Erik C. Westman Virginia Tech engineering; tomographic engineering Albert R. Young North Carolina State University physics; double-beta decay

Office of the Vice President for Research

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY

301 Burruss Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0244 Phone: (540)231-6077 Fax: (540)231-4384

February 25, 2005

The National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22230 To Whom It May Concern: As the Virginia Tech Vice President for Research, I am pleased to submit this letter of support on behalf of the institution's proposal for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). In the past year, in excess of a million dollars of institutional funds have been expended on our DUSEL proposal efforts. If selected to advance to the next phase, Virginia Tech is committed to expend the millions more needed for the geological and engineering characterization of our proposed location. The University's strong commitment stems from our desire to demonstrate to the scientific community and the National Science Foundation that we can offer a credible and uniquely qualified DUSEL location. Sincerely,

Brad Fenwick Vice President for Research BF/php

A Land-Grant University—Putting Knowledge to Work An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institution

United StatesDepartment of

Forest New River Valley Ranger District

110 Southpark Drive Blacksburg, VA 24060

AgricultureService

155 Sherwood Forest Road Wytheville, VA 24382

File Code: 2720

Date: February 24, 2005

Robert J. Bodnar Department of Geosciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061 Dear Dr. Bodnar: You asked for a short letter acknowledging that we are aware of your proposal to develop a conceptual plan for a deep underground laboratory in Giles County, beneath Butt Mountain. You also asked for a general description of various stakeholders and the permitting agencies that you might need to interact with, if this site was selected by the National Science Foundation. We are fully aware of the scope of this proposal (including the potential visitor’s center), its implications for the Jefferson National Forest, and its importance. We’ve already worked with you on permitting the seismic survey work the Kimballton group accomplished last fall on the top of Butt Mountain. As we’ve discussed, the United States Forest Service will continue to work with you to review environmental issues pertinent to the portions of this project that would affect national forest system lands. The complexity of the environmental analysis will depend on the extent of ground disturbance and the proposed long term impacts to national forest lands. We would coordinate with the agencies (such as Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and US Fish and Wildlife Service) needed to complete our environmental analysis. Our review would also include input from the public. You would need to coordinate directly with any permitting agencies who would be involved regardless of whether the location is on national forest or not. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Bill Compton at 540-953-3564 or me at 540-552-4641.

Sincerely,

/s/ Cynthia R. Schiffer

CYNTHIA R. SCHIFFER

District Ranger

Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

February 25, 2005 Mr. Robert J. Bodnar Department of Geosciences University Distinguished Professor, and C. C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061 RE: DUSEL Dear Bob: I would like to take this opportunity to express, on behalf of The Blacksburg Partnership, our support for the proposal that you are preparing for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab (DUSEL), to be constructed in Giles County. The 25 members of the Blacksburg Partnership, made up of executives from Virginia Tech, the Town of Blacksburg, and local business communities, recognize the tremendous economic benefit a facility such as this would bring to our area. As such, we are 100% behind this project and will lend any support necessary to help secure its location in our area. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you need additional support materials for this recommendation. We look forward to working with you as we proceed on a successful path to construction of the DUSEL in our area. Sincerely, William Aden President

Joe Gabbard, Treasurer Giles Rural Development Alliance (Giles RDA)

PO BOX 265 Newport, Virginia 24128-0265

“Promoting Responsible and Sustainable Development in Giles County”

February 28, 2005 To Whom It May Concern: Giles Rural Development Alliance (Giles RDA) is a non-profit community group located in Giles County (Newport) Virginia. Giles RDA’s goals are to:

• Promote responsible development in Giles County, • Engage in efforts designed to preserve and protect the rural character of Giles County, • Sponsor educational workshops and seminars for county officials and interested citizens, • Preserve and protect the natural resources of the area through funded research, and, • Support co-existence of traditional farms with low density residential lands.

Giles RDA has engaged in a number of activities to support our stated goals. For example, we have collaborated with other local organizations to provide county officials with grant-funded educational workshops. Giles RDA has funded research detailing the effects of development on sensitive karst areas of Giles County, and we continue to research and provide information to citizens and county officials to support growth and development in an educated manner. In the past few years, we have organized and hosted a number of community-based events, including some in which diverse opinions on local development issues were solicited. These open community forums allow citizens to voice concerns in a neutral environment, and in some cases, afford organizations involved in a development effort an opportunity to present their perspective, and propose solutions to community concerns. Giles RDA President Steve Craig and I have spoken with Virginia Tech’s DUSEL Executive Committee Chair, Robert J. Bodnar, UDP and DUSEL Project Director, Bruce Vogelaar regarding Virginia Tech’s NSF DUSEL proposal. From our discussions, we feel that our experience facilitating Giles county community meetings provides an opportunity for the DUSEL team to not only solicit local community opinions on the project, but also provide feedback to the community in terms of economic benefits, advancements in science, development and construction plans, mitigation strategies, and so on. This opportunity will enable the VT DUSEL team to maintain an ongoing dialogue between their project efforts and Giles County citizens; a dialogue that we feel is critical to the long term viability and success of the project. As a result, we are submitting this “letter of interest” to convey our interest in participating in the project. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at 540-544-7594. Sincerely,

Joe Gabbard, Treasurer