Underground Lab Threatens Icicle Valley and Alpine Lakes

by Sharlynn Cobaugh

Residents of Leavenworth, Washington and the surrounding area are deeply concerned about the intentions of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the University of Washington (UW), which are hoping to develop a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). DUSEL would require the construction of two side-by-side tunnels, each 20 feet in diameter, in which scientific experiments would be done. The tunnels would begin in the now pristine Icicle Valley, along the Icicle River, the water source for the valley and a source of irrigation water for the surrounding orchards and farms. The proposed tunnels would extend horizontally for three miles underneath Mt. Cashmere to a final location at a depth of 7,000 feet underneath the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

The demand for the project is fueled by the UW and DOE scientists' desire to study neutrinos. Several factors of the feasibility are still being considered: approval and funding from Congress and the President must be obtained for this use of Forest Service land underneath a wilderness area; and the National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency which has taken responsibility for the underground laboratory, must first approve a "pre-proposal" and then a final proposal to agree to fund the lab and experiment.

Leavenworth is not the only location being considered for the lab; but in community meetings it has been declared to be the preferred site. The NSF roadmap for the project calls for a decision on DUSEL in 2006. If that position is positive, and Congress allocates a funding bill that the President signs, construction could begin in 2008.

Many, but not all, of the community misgivings about DUSEL stem from concerns about the construction phase of the lab. By turning a pristine recreation area into an industrial building/use site, residents fear that the main source of the area's economy, tourism and recreation will be impacted. The proposed tunnel portal lies within a "scenic" river corridor, as designated by the Forest Service, and there are several recreational use spots for climbing and kayaking runs that would be eliminated if the road were widened or water diverted.

The construction phase will require siphoning large amounts of water from a key water source, the Icicle Creek. Noise, air and water pollution are also major concerns regarding the construction and operational phases of the lab. Hazardous chemicals will be in regular use, and given that the Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Agency will also have access and use areas within the lab, the community fears a loss of control and knowledge regarding what chemicals are being used and transported through their watershed to be used in the lab.

There is also a possibility that drilling deep into Mt. Stewart could impact the water tables in the region, which could severely impact the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and surrounding streams. Construction of the lab would also require a new home for the unearthed granite, an estimated (647,000 cubic meters), and a large increase of truck traffic (an estimated 88 truck passes per day on local two lane roads, bridges and highways) for several years. At one of the three community meetings held in Leavenworth, scientists suggested that the rock may be hauled through the Tumwater Canyon and dumped in a Forest Service gravel yard in a rural residential area next to the Nason Creek Rest Area.

In a recent letter to the editor in Leavenworth's local paper, the Leavenworth Echo, a collective letter written by the DUSEL Citizens Advisory Committee at the conclusion of a five-month study of the lab proposal states, "We believe the Icicle Canyon was a hasty and inappropriate choice as a DUSEL candidate. We fail to see how the concerns we have raised can be adequately addressed later in the process. The lab is what it is; some of the problems it will create here simply can't be mitigated."

The strong public opposition may or may not be able to keep DUSEL out of Leavenworth. The town itself, and the Chamber of Commerce, has yet to take a formal position on the project as has been requested by the project planners. But resistance is organizing.

Information and ways to help keep DUSEL out of the Icicle Valley can be found at .

The UW official project website is also an important source of information regarding the project, which can be found at: .