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Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Digging for what's possible
Washington state's expertise in physics has created an idea worth exploring.
Scientists at the University of Washington would like a major new laboratory to be built deep underground near Leavenworth on the east side of the Cascades. The $300 million National Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory would give the United States an advanced facility for studying neutrinos, one of the universe's building blocks.
The Leavenworth plan, which faces competition from other spots, could bring permanent jobs at a visitor center and an administration building. The research would benefit from relative proximity to the University of Washington, Richland's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of British Columbia.
The lab would be deep underground, requiring construction tunneling into Cashmere Mountain. The lab would be under the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, but its entrance would be outside the wilderness.
The effects of construction, especially truck traffic, could be problematic in the popular Icicle Creek area. Some opponents fear that having the lab under a wilderness area sets a bad precedent, one that might apply to mines, for instance. The questions deserve attention, although we don't believe they should derail the proposal before it is even formally made.
Fundamental scientific research can produce gains in knowledge for all humanity. It's worth digging into the possibilities at Leavenworth.
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