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Pathogen Research Lab Advances

Posted on: Monday, 24 May 2004, 06:00 CDT

MISSOULA-A proposed Hamilton research lab designed study the world's most dangerous pathogens came one step closer to reality Friday when the National Institutes of Health released another environmental study affirming the agency's desire to build the facility.

The final decision on the lab is expected sometime after June 4.

"I'm pleased," said Rocky Mountain Laboratories Associate Director Marshall Bloom. "The assistant superintendent of Glacier National Park just died of a level 4 virus. If we'd had this lab here (now), there would be people here, including me, working on it."

Bloom cautioned, however, that the incremental step forward announced Friday does not mean the lab is definitely going to be built.

The NIH, which oversees Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, first proposed building the lab - known in biological lingo as a "biosafety level 4" or BL-4 lab - in 2002 at Rocky Mountain Labs. The $66.5 million, 105,000 squarefoot building would be adjacent to Rocky Mountain Lab's existing century-old campus.

Only a handful of other BL-4 labs exist in the country.

The announcement drew praise from some, like Gov. Judy Martz, who early on declared her support for the lab and the scientific prestige it would bring to the state, but concern from others, mainly local residents who feared for their safety should deadly microbes escape.

Local concern was so great, the NIH postponed its final decision on the project to conduct an extra environmental study to answer the growing chorus of concerns ranging from noise to bioterrorism.

Many residents questioned the ability of rural Ravalli County to respond to a major biological outbreak and suggested the lab be built some place better able to respond to such crises. While accidents may be rare, the result of an accident would be catastrophic, they argued, and should be considered.

Mary Wulff of Coalition for a Safe Lab has long opposed the project and said Friday it seemed the federal agency dismissed any notion of building the lab elsewhere. She also said the NIH has refused to turn over information about Rocky Mountain Labs' safety record to three local organizations, including hers. The organizations have since sued to get the documents.

She said she was disappointed that the NIH still has not tome up with any contingency plans in case of an emergency at the lab and said she thinks the environmental studies were not really conducted to see if Hamilton is the best place for the facility.

"It was predetermined," she said. "They were going to do what they wanted to do, anyway."

Martz's office took a different view.

"We're delighted," said spokesman Chuck Butler. "Governor Martz recognizes that some people have concerns, but she's pleased the study supports proceeding with the project."

Biological research labs are broken into four categories depending on the kinds of microbes scientists can safely handle in them. Biosafety level 1 labs can handle any microbe that doesn't cause disease and requires nothing more advanced than a working sink for safety. The most protective are BL-4 labs, which are designed to prevent microbes from ever coming into contact with scientists inside or the outside world.

Rocky Mountain Labs already has several lesser protective labs, including a BL-3 lab, which can safely handle the microbe that causes anthrax.

The proposed BL-4 lab would be a small part of an expansion including several less-protective research labs.

Copyright Billings Gazette May 01, 2004

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