By Scott Pohl, WKAR News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-1001828.mp3
EAST LANSING, MI –
Michigan State University Trustees have approved proceeding with phase one of site preparation and excavation for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or F-RIB.
U-S Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently sent shock waves through the MSU community with comments expressing some doubt about the future of federal funding for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
MSU vice president Fred Poston says work approved and completed so far on F-RIB, including some new office space, could be put to other uses even if federal funding dries up.
"When you dig a great big hole," Poston says, "there's not too many other uses for that. You want to be careful before you pull the trigger on that."
Today, the MSU board okayed spending $20-million on site prep and excavation for F-RIB. That work is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks.