We think it is important to keep our neighbors informed about the construction of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. To ensure that you have the most up-to-date information, we have set up this website about LBNF and DUNE and use it to post updates and answers to frequently asked questions.
We also frequently present updates on LBNF and DUNE to the Fermilab Community Advisory Board, which meets on the Fermilab site in Batavia, Illinois. In addition, we encourage our neighbors to subscribe to our free monthly newsletter Fermilab Frontiers or one of our social media channels.
Groundbreaking for the Illinois portion of LBNF took place on Nov. 14, 2019. We posted an article about the work that was done at Fermilab in 2020 as part of the pre-construction prep work for the project. Here are photos of that initial prep work.
Further site prep work took place on the Fermilab site, near Kirk and Giese roads, between Nov. 2023 and April 2024. The LBNF/DUNE team gave a presentation with details of this work to the Fermilab Community Advisory Board in July 2023 and mailed a letter to neighbors who live near the prep work area. We also gave a 6-minute presentation, recorded by Batavia Access Television, at the Batavia City Council meeting on Nov. 6, 2023. We’ve published an article about the almost completed site prep work in April 2024.
Construction of the new research facility at Fermilab is expected to begin in spring 2026.
Latest updates
We welcome your questions and comments:
At Fermilab
Rae Moss
+ 1 630-840-3729
Environmental assessment
With the help of a number of technical experts, including independent consultants assisted by Fermilab and Sanford Lab staff, the U.S. Department of Energy prepared an environmental assessment to determine what impacts LBNF and DUNE construction and operation might have on human health and environment.
Public meetings were held on June 17, 2015 in Lead, South Dakota, June 18, 2015 in Rapid City, South Dakota, and June 24, 2015 in Batavia, Illinois.
For more information on the environmental assessment, please visit this webpage.