Huge New Biodefense Lab Is Dedicated at Fort Detrick

[TexasLawyer]

Source: WaPo

Huge New Biodefense Lab Is Dedicated at Fort Detrick



The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center is
expected to become operational in March.
By Travis S. Pratt

The Department of Homeland Security dedicated a massive biodefense laboratory in Frederick yesterday, moving toward the facility's opening despite questions raised about the risks of deadly pathogens to be studied there.

When the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick is fully operational in March, about 150 scientists in the lab will be tasked with protecting the country from a bioterrorist attack through prevention or containment. Another goal is to allow investigators to fingerprint biological agents such as viruses and bacteria, quickly tracing their source and catching the offender.

But critics cite the case of Bruce E. Ivins, a researcher at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, also at Fort Detrick, as evidence that such installations might help bioterrorists get access to lethal agents. FBI investigators think Ivins, who committed suicide in July, was responsible for the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Construction began in June 2006 on the $143 million, 160,000-square-foot facility inside the fort, the Army's sprawling medical research post in Frederick. The ship-shaped building will be divided between the lab's major divisions: a forensic testing center, which aims to identify the culprits in biological attacks; and the Biothreat Characterization Center, which seeks to predict what such attacks will look like and guide the development of countermeasures.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/10/22/ST2008102203102.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. Hmmmm...

We don't already have enough sarin etc "wmd"s and need to make more?

[spag68]

2. New lab

At least there are jobs somewhee.

[teknomanzer]

3. Why do I have the feeling this is more lika a bio-offense lab?

So many things in this country are given titles that are opposite to the contents under their banner - "Department of Defense," "Right to Work," "Patriot Act," "No child Left Behind Act," it makes me suspicious of everything.