A government report to be released later this week slams the plan to build a contested high security pathogen lab in Kansas, saying the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not properly evaluate the risks of conducting such research in the mainland, the linkurl:Washington Post reports.;http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/26/AR2009072602857_pf.html The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the idea of building the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) in Kansas, or in any mainland location, was not "scientifically defensible," according to the Post, and the DHS based its decision on a flawed risk assessment study. Critics have argued that such research should be done on an island to provide an extra measure of protection in case of accidental release, and objected to conducting research on agricultural pathogens in a region of the country crucial for the agricultural industry. Kansas, specifically, is prone to tornadoes, which could damage the facility...
Post
Interested in reading more?
Become a Member of
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!