City cuts back on plan to regulate biolabs

[YankeyMCC]

(snip)

In the face of opposition from Harvard University, pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., and the state biotechnology industry, Boston is scaling back its pioneering plan to regulate research on infectious organisms in laboratories within city limits.
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The regulations, proposed last November by the Boston Public Health Commission, would have required a city permit to conduct research on any organisms that could be infectious, opening up to public scrutiny a significant amount of research done by hospitals, universities, and drug companies.

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As Boston's Public Health Commission has wrestled with the regulations, it has found itself trying to balance the community's interest in being informed with researchers' concern for their own safety and confidentiality.
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Beyond the safety question, the biotechnology industry is also concerned that the rules could send a message that Boston isn't friendly to business. Thomas M. Finneran , president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council , calls the rules a ``worrisome development" that could discourage businesses from opening or expanding in Boston, especially if they are worried their trade secrets would be revealed in public meetings.

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A clear example of what is best for profit and what is best for the community in direct conflict and "profit" winning out.

[w4rma]

1. They'd just open up a lab right outside of the city limits. (nt)

[Telly Savalas]

4. Yup.

If FDA safety laws are inadequate, that's what needs to be remedied.

[mom cat]

2. Big money trumps public safety. ... Thanks Harvard. Harvard is not

even in Boston!
Anything as dangerous as a biolab should be regulated.

[michaelwb]

8. re: Harvard is not even in Boston - wrong

The Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health are all in the City of Boston.

Harvard University has multiple campuses when you include the graduate schools and is, in fact, in several cities.

[Telly Savalas]

3. Did you write this?

[YankeyMCC]

6. Link provided

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/biotechnology/articles/2006/08/23/city_cuts_back_on_plan_to_regulate_biolabs/

[YankeyMCC]

5. Boston Globe LINK

My appologies I just realized I fogot to include the link:

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/biotechnology/articles/2006/08/23/city_cuts_back_on_plan_to_regulate_biolabs/

[stepnw1f]

7. Absolutely Disgusting!

My Senators will be hearing about this.

[truthisfreedom]

9. ermm... the first time something goes wrong, the people who caved on this

are going to be under fire in the most harsh way.