New report says there are still no federal safety standards for nation’s bioterror defense labs

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/25/new-report-says-there-are-still-no-federal-safety-standards-for-nations-bioterror-defense-labs/



New report says there are still no federal safety standards for nation’s bioterror defense labs
By Agence France-Presse
Monday, March 25, 2013 17:00 EDT

US labs that research bioterror germs such as anthrax are at risk for accidents because they do not have uniform building and operation standards, a Congressional investigative group said on Monday.

A lack of oversight has persisted despite a 2009 report by the Government Accountability Office on the same topic, leaving no single agency in charge of safety or research goals at bioterror labs, the GAO said in its report.

“This deficiency may be more critical today than three years ago because current budget constraints make prioritization essential,” it said.

Further, because no agency is in charge of directing research priorities, even important projects — like a proposed $1.14 billion national bio- and agro-defense lab to make vaccines against high-risk animal diseases that could harm humans — are in peril as the United States undergoes sharp budget cuts.


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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/25/vial-of-easily-weaponized-virus-goes-missing-in-texas/

Vial of easily weaponized virus goes missing in Texas