This site is a temporary location to facilitate coordination of smaller experiments at the Soudan Underground Lab after the Shaft Fire. By prioritizing our needs here, we can then present an organized set of jobs to help the crew. This will minimize the flow of emails directly to personnel currently engaged in the recovery. In addition, I will continue to update information (see the “Update” section at the bottom), so that you will know when entry will be possible.

Please feel free to login (first time will create account) and edit your section. I have put a few placeholders to show how this might work. Immediate needs refers to jobs you would like done by the mine crew as soon as there is any access. I have already communicated the need for SOLO, Gopher, and CoGeNT to keep radon plateout to a minimum.

Nitrogen purge for radon reduction (LN boiloff or N2 compressed gas)

Nitrogen purge for radon reduction (LN boiloff or N2 compressed gas)

Nitrogen purge for radon reduction (LN boiloff or N2 compressed gas)

There was continued work in the shaft today and a brief entry into the Soudan Lab.

• Today's shaft work focused on straightening a section of rail about 100 feet above the 27th level.

• The electrical cable between the 27th level substation and the lab was tested and passed with no faults.

• The foam in the lab has collapsed to the floor, leaving some debris that was swept into the lab by the foam in the area between the entryway and the MINOS Detector.

• All doors to the lab are now closed at the suggestion of Fermilab engineers.

• The DNR and University staff have now worked continuously since last Thursday night. There will be no work this weekend, in order to rest the staff for next week. Work will resume on Monday. Steps are being taken now to augment the staff in order to provide longer access to the Lab for cleanup.

• Next report will be Monday.