Yates running, dedication coming

The Yates Shaft was opened for routine access to the 4,850-foot level last Thursday?for the first time since 2003. 

?This was a monumental task,? Operations Director Greg King said.

The Yates Shaft gives scientists quicker, easier access to the Davis Campus, where the LUX dark-matter detector and the Majorana Demonstrator experiment are being installed. The reopening of the Yates also allows crews to begin replacing steel in the 5,000-foot Ross Shaft.

?In a word, the Yates Shaft is essential,? Sanford Lab Director Mike Headley said.

The project to reopen the Yates began in November 2008 when RCS Construction began refurbishing  the shaft itself?a process that took 18 months. The Sanford Lab Operations Department designed and took delivery of a new conveyance, or ?cage.? Heavy Constructors built a tower inside the Yates headframe building to support the ?rope-dog? safety system, which can stop the cage in the shaft in the event of an emergency. Our own Operations Department installed the ?dog ropes? themselves?two 5,200-foot steel ropes that run the length of the shaft.

?The project went smoothly, which illustrates the dedication and competence of our staff,? SDSTA Executive Director Ron Wheeler said. ?My thanks to everyone.?

 On Sunday, local government officials rode the Yates cage in a dress rehearsal for next week?s Davis Campus dedication.

On Wednesday, May 30, we?ll welcome Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who will host a tour of the Davis Campus for media and dignitaries from around the nation, including representatives from the Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley Lab and Fermilab. After the tours, Gov. Daugaard will speak at an invitation-only dedication ceremony in the Yates Education Building. Sanford Lab Principal Investigator Kevin Lesko and DOE Office of High Energy Physics Director Jim Siegrist also will speak.