Super-collider lawsuit may not see its day in court

The Maroon covered the lawsuit filed by two scientists last quarter against the US government--and the U of C's Fermilab--to prevent the creation of a super-collider they claimed would destroy Earth by creating a black hole that would swallow us up. The NY Times reported today that lawyers for the federal government were seeking a dismissal of the case since its statute had run out and, perhaps more importantly, the money had already been spent. The article also addresses Fermilab specifically:

Meanwhile, the government also argues, Fermilab should be left off the hook. It cannot be sued, they said, because it is not a legal entity, not an agency of a corporation. It is "simply a collection of physical assets (such as scientific equipment and buildings)" owned by the Department of Energy, which approves and pays for all the operations there, according to an affidavit from Joanna M. Livengood, the department's site manager there.