Science & Nature
Fermilab Announces ‘Limited Operations Period,’ Shortening Previous Closure Plans
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Michael Kappel / flickr)
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia has shifted some recently announced plans from a closure to what the laboratory is characterizing as a “limited operations period.”
The shift came following active engagement by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Fermi Research Alliance (FRA), according to Tracy Marc, media relations manager at Fermilab. FRA is the partnership that manages Fermilab with the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association.
Most staff will not be working the week of Aug. 26, but some research, including the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment and the Proton Improvement Plan II, will be operating, Marc said.
This follows news from the particle physics laboratory in July when Fermilab confirmed more significant closures connected to its budget.
Originally, the week of Sept. 2 was also closed to the staff and public, but that is no longer the case, Marc said. Work will resume right after Labor Day, when the lab will also reopen to the public.
There is also maintenance on the water and electrical systems that will be performed while the lab is in limited operations to optimize efficiencies, Marc said.
Fermilab employs 2,160 including scientists and engineers, according to its website, and researchers have earned multiple Nobel Prizes.
Contact Jared Rutecki: @JaredRutecki | [email protected]
