The South Dakota legislature, at the urging of Republican Governor Mike Rounds, has authorized $19.9 million to create a state-run science laboratory 4850 feet deep in the Homestake mine. The authorization brings to more than $45 million the amount the state is risking to create an operating underground science lab by 2007.
The push by the governor to quickly make the mine available for research is part of a complex legal and political process designed both to improve Homestake’s chances of being selected by NSF as the site for the proposed federal underground science center and to bring research dollars to South Dakota regardless of the final NSF decision.
Homestake is also the centerpiece of a broader effort by South Dakota officials to invest in science and research in hopes of improving the state’s education system and economy. South Dakota, known primarily for Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and vast...
