[NukeNet] Group Demands Full Report on Impact of Livermore Lab Bioterrorism Research Facility

[Marylia Kelley]

Daily Californian (UC student newspaper)
http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=26677

Group Demands Full Report on Impact of Livermore Lab Bioterrorism
Research Facility

BY Sarah Morrison
Contributing Writer
Thursday, November 1, 2007


A local non-profit group is calling on the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory to re-draft an environmental impact report, which
they are saying omitted or concealed the potential negative impact of
a new bio-research facility proposed for the site.

The lab, which is partly managed by the University of California,
recently released a revised report on the environmental impact of
building a new facility at their main site. According to the lab, the
site will research ways to combat bioterrorism.

Tri-Valley CAREs, a non-profit organization of more than 5,000 local
residents, is attacking the validity of the report based on what they
feel is an inadequate description of a recent finding that the lab
was guilty of releasing anthrax during two shipments in 2005.
Organization members also said the report failed to fully express the
threat of potential terrorist activity.

"By its very nature, the laboratory is a very secretive facility,"
said Robert Schwartz, staff attorney for Tri-Valley CAREs. "They have
glossed over the anthrax incident in their report and the way that it
affects terrorist analysis that might be associated with the
facility."

According to the lab officials, they are taking into account all the
considerations raised by Tri-Valley CAREs and will address them along
with public concerns in the final draft of the report, although they
cannot be certain when this will be complete.

"I think that we do a good job in communicating with our residents,"
said John Belluardo, a lab spokesperson. "Everything that is not
classified is available to the community and we have already had a
30-day formal comment period and any comments after that time will be
considered."

Schwartz also said the lab failed to mention in the report that the
person responsible for the release of anthrax was unauthorized under
the Select Agent Program, which regulates the possession and transfer
of potentially harmful agents and toxins.

"In the revised draft we would like to see them come clean with what
happened and admit mistakes so people reading it could evaluate
issues that it raises and can decide whether the facility should be
built," Schwartz said.

According to Stephen Wampler, a lab spokesperson, the development of
detection techniques for fighting bioterrorism is essential for
public safety.

"This facility would really be a biosafety facility, not a
bio-warfare facility," Wampler said. "The development of such
technologies is critical in fighting terrorism."
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Marylia Kelley,
Executive Director

Tri-Valley CAREs
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA  94551

Ph: (925) 443-7148
Fx: (925) 443-0177
Web: www.trivalleycares.org
Email: marylia at trivalleycares.org or marylia at earthlink.net