Fermilab plans meeting about new project

If you follow the news out of Fermilab, you've probably heard about the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and the related Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

It's the largest proposed physics experiment at the laboratory. It will involve the construction of four buildings and a new beamline on the Fermilab site, not far from Kirk and Giese roads in Batavia.

Scientists will use the facility to send subatomic particles called neutrinos through the earth to a large detector in South Dakota. Construction at Fermilab could begin as early as 2018.

The U.S. Department of Energy will host a public meeting in Fermilab's Wilson Hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, to gather comments on the preliminary findings of the related environmental studies.

The meeting will provide neighbors and the local community with an opportunity to meet with scientists and engineers working on the proposed project. It will provide information on the planned facility and the expected environmental impacts as detailed in a draft environmental assessment that has been prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. There will be short presentations, posters, and the opportunity for you to ask questions and submit comments.

The public comment period for the environmental assessment begins June 8 and runs until July 10. If you have questions about the public meeting, call Katie Yurkewicz at (630) 840-3351. Visit www.fnal.gov.