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South Dakota Science & Technology Authority
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dave Snyder (605) 722-8650
VIDEO INSPECTION OF ROSS SHAFT COMPLETED
Lead, SD--Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, announced today that a video inspection of the Ross Shaft at Homestake in Lead has been successfully conducted. The inspection took place on Thursday December 7th after months of planning by a crew consisting of former Homestake Mining Company employees, scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, BrownUniversity, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and South Dakota Science and Technology Authority staff. A similar inspection of the Yates Shaft at Homestake was conducted in June.
The apparatus, referred to as CoolerCam2, lowered four video cameras into the shaft on a crossbar supported by a steel cable. The apparatus was designed by Gary Lillehaug, a former Homestake electrical foreman, for the Yates Shaft video project in June and required just slight modification for use on this most recent descent into the Ross Shaft. The apparatus traveled to the 4850 foot level and produced video images of that entire length. The machinery was lowered into the shaft at 8:13 A.M. and by 10:29 A.M. it was being hoisted to the top.
“The results were what we expected to see. The shaft appears to be in very good condition and allows for unrestricted travel from the top collar to the 4850 foot level,” said Greg King, Property Development Manager for the Authority who was the Homestake Mine Company site foreman when the mine closed.
The Homestake Mine, which is owned by the Authority, is one of the proposed sites of a deep underground science and engineering laboratory. Barrick Gold Corporation donated the mine to the Authority last spring. Both the Ross Shaft and the Yates Shaft were closed and sealed by Barrick in June of 2003. This has kept air from flowing, which has controlled the humidity and the temperature, which in turn has preserved the wood timber sets in the Yates Shaft and the mostly steel structure in the Ross Shaft.
Several crew members made written notations as they watched the live video images on a laptop computer screen and a large screen in the control room. The information gathered will be helpful to engineering the reentry plan. Tom Regan, clean-up closure foreman for the underground mine and safety director for Homestake Mine, kept a close eye on the project, and he also reported that the shaft appears to be in good shape.
“We extend our thanks once again to Barrick Gold, not only for the donation of the mine property, but also for the fine job they did in the entire closure process, including sealing the shafts,” said Snyder.
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