The clear consensus of the Town Meeting B1 working group was that DUSEL must have world class facilities capable of providing assay and ultra-clean materials support for the initial suite of science experiments. Any such facility also will require a local staff with the requisite expertise. The expectation would be that this staff would provide state-of-the-art assay and materials preparation and eventually would also help lead and direct future R&D efforts to develop enhanced sensitivities.

The ideal implementation plan would be to have a fully-equipped low background screening facility at DUSEL very early, with the capacity ramping up fast enough to keep up with the needs as the first suite of experiments are constructed, while providing support for distributed sites which are already serving the community, such as Kimballton, Soudan, WIPP, Oroville, LoMo, etc. Common technical capabilities identified as needed by the initial suite of experiments anticipated for DUSEL include:

• Gamma screening - HPGe detectors of varying sensitivity and segmentation. Includes systems at the 300’ level for pre-screening as well as sensitive systems located at the 4850’ level.
• Alpha, Beta, and Rn counting - Both commercial pre-screeners and more sensitive new technology that is currently being developed. Radon emanation chambers and systems.
• ICP-MS facility - A dedicated ICP-MS machine capable of reaching sensitivities at the sub-microBq/kg level. Requires ultra-clean reagents and wet-lab facilities.
• NAA and RNAA screening - The ability to facilitate and conduct neutron activation and radiochemistry NAA measurements. The RNAA measurements require wet lab capabilities.
• Large liquid scintillation counter - A longer term facility, providing whole body counting capabilities for large samples or materials.
• Underground storage of ultra-pure materials - Storage at appropriate levels of clean materials such as cryogens, water, noble liquids and gases, copper, lead and germanium.
• Underground ultra-pure material production facilities - Expected materials include electroformed copper, Kr removal, and potentially Ge crystal growth. Also includes access to a clean machine shop, and special fabrication tools such as EDM machines and laser welders.

Important R&D activities that were identified during the workshop include enhanced beta screening, capabilities to measure the energy of the ambient neutron background, development of low radiation photodetectors, production of ultra-pure electroformed Cu, enhanced ICP-MS sensitivity, 39Ar removal, and Kr removal.

Finally, during the workshop, the community agreed to submit a single S4 proposal to articulate an integrated program that both defines the necessary technologies and capabilities available as DUSEL starts operations, as well as specifies the R&D program needed to develop technologies providing enhanced sensitivities. The proposal will start the transition from the current loosely organized community into a cohesive DUSEL focused group. We will consider a model similar to the European ILIAS JRA-1 organization, which joins institutions and facilities interested in low-level counting and ultra-clean materials in a cooperative manner. It is expected that as part of the early S4 efforts, an open database will be developed that provides Web based access to information on material radiopurities as well as assay capabilities and facilities. It is clear that for the immediate future, the S4 process is the ideal route to provide resources to help unite and coordinate the separate groups and institutions as the community develops an integrated program centered at DUSEL.