FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 14, 2004

CONTACT:  Mark Johnston at 605-773-3212

Governor Rounds announces “Homestake Day at the Legislature”

PIERRE – Gov. Mike Rounds announced Tuesday that he is hosting a “Homestake Day at the Legislature” on Tuesday, January 20, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. (CT) at the Riggs High School Fine Arts Theater in Pierre.  

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to show our legislators, students and the public how important the Homestake Underground Laboratory will be to the advancement of research and technology in South Dakota,” said Gov. Rounds on the announcement.  “We will have eight of the most renowned physicists here in Pierre, making presentations on why this facility is needed.”

The day’s events include a brief introduction of the legislation required to create an authority which will accept the 125 year-old former Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, S.D., to a deep underground science and engineering lab; presentations by scientists; and a presentation on the advancement of research in South Dakota’s higher education system.

Scientists currently scheduled to attend the “Homestake Day at the Legislature” include:

• Dr. Marvin Marshak, University of Minnesota, will discuss dark matter 
• Dr. Jordan Goodman, University of Maryland, will discuss Science Underground. 
• Dr. Ken Lande, University of Pennsylvania, will discuss neutrino physics 
• Dr. Al Mann, Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania, will discuss proton decay 
• Dr. John Wilkerson, University of Washington, will discuss Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay 
• Dr. Kevin Lesko, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will discuss Neutrinos from the Sun 
• Dr. David Berley, University of Maryland, will discuss Geo Science 
• Dr. Harry Miley, Pacific Northwest Laboratory   

The public is invited and encouraged to attend.  Homestake Day at the Legislature will be covered live on the internet at www.sdpb.org  and there will be a tape delay broadcast on SD Public Television at 10:30 p.m. (CT)

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