Deep concerns

摘要

Deep in South Dakota's Black Hills, engineers are halfway through pumping water from a 2.6-kilometre-deep mineshaft near the town of Lead. By 2015, US researchers hope, this watery hole will have dried out and become home to one of the country's biggest science infrastructure projects: the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory, or DUSEL.rnBut the US$500-million plan has found one of its most difficult tasks on the surface. It has struggled to meet goals to work with local Native Americans, whose cooperation is vital to keeping the project on track. A federal review this year questioned whether DUSEL would create educational and outreach oppor-rntunities for local tribes; if not, it could face lawsuits, delays or other major problems.