Updated:
Thursday August 28, 2008
Updated:
Thursday August 28, 2008
ANTHRAX CASE RENEWS QUESTIONS ON BIOTERROR EFFORT
From The New York Times:
With so many people involved, there is insufficient federal oversight of biodefense facilities to make sure the laboratories follow security rules and report accidents that might threaten lab workers or, in an extreme case, lead to a release that might endanger the public, Mr. Rhodes testified.
Mr. Stupak, the congressman from Michigan, remains concerned.
“You have all these universities tripping over each other trying to be high-level biosecurity labs,” he said. “What the nation gets is a very expensive bill, less security and a greater risk to the surrounding communities.” Click here for full story
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FOOT-AND-MOUTH PLAN USED FLAWED STUDY
"The Bush administration has no evidence to support its contention that it would be safe to move research on highly infectious foot-and-mouth disease to the U.S. mainland near livestock, congressional investigators said Thursday....Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said plans by the Department of Homeland Security were not only "baffling, but dangerous." Click Here
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HOMELAND SECURITY WINS CONTROL OVER FOOT-AND-MOUTH RESEARCH
(5/7/08) - "Lawmakers on Wednesday tentatively agreed that national security officials should fully control the expected transfer of research of highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease from an offshore laboratory to the U.S. mainland near livestock...The numbers of livestock in the counties and surrounding areas of the finalists range from 542,507 in Kansas to 132,900 in Georgia, according to an internal Homeland Security study." Click Here
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SCIENTIST'S ATTORNEY SAYS UGA SPREAD FALSE DATA TO WIN GRANTS
(4/18/08)“I can fully appreciate the ramifications it would have on the University of Georgia’s bid to become a national center for agro-bioterrorism research if President Adams were to truthfully acknowledge the role his office has played in the fabrication of scientific data..." Click Here
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CHECK OUR NEWS PAGE FOR THE LATEST COVERAGE.....
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$25M PLUS IN INCENTIVES FOR NBAF
"Georgia officials have offered more than $25 million in incentives to draw a federal research laboratory to Athens....The state of Georgia will provide about $15 million, the UGA Research Foundation $5 million and Athens-Clarke County about $1 million in incentives if Homeland Security picks 66 acres off South Milledge Avenue to build the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility. That doesn't include free land valued at about $5.3 million." Click here
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ACCIDENTS AT DISEASE LAB ACKNOWLEDGED
"The only U.S. facility allowed to research the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease experienced several accidents with the feared virus, the Bush administration acknowledged Friday." (04/11/08) Click here
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BIOLAB PITCH A SECRET
"A University of Georgia-led group is considering spending more money to draw a federal bioresearch laboratory to Athens, but taxpayers might never know."
Click here
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FEDS WANT POWER PLANT FOR NBAF
"The federal government has asked Kansas and other states vying for a new Department of Homeland Security laboratory to commit to building a power plant for the facility, officials confirmed Friday."
Click here
"Georgia officials, including spokesmen for the University of Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue and U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, said Homeland Security hasn't asked Georgia to build a power plant as far as they know...." Click here
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DHS RELEASES EIS SCOPING REPORT
FROM THE DHS WEBSITE "The NBAF environmental impact statement (EIS) scoping period occurred from July 31 through September 28, 2007. During that time, the Department conducted eight public meetings in the vicinity of the proposed NBAF sites and in one regional location. The results of this process are documented in the NBAF EIS Scoping Report"
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Against Opposition: Homeland Security Defends NBAF - Oconee Leader ....Click here to read
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Raleigh, N.C. — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose a federal bio-defense laboratory proposed for Granville County....click here to read
From The Flagpole:"Davison reiterated that the NBAF proposal will not be debated by ACC Commissioners “on the floor,” and that they will not be expected to take formal action on the matter..." click here to read
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REPORT FROM NORTH CAROLINA'S DHS 2/21 MEETING "Frank allowed and facilitated a format of questions that pressed the DHS for answers to all questions. Having been present at both meetings, I only wish the same format would have been afforded to the concerned residents of Athens. In Athens if the DHS didn’t completely answer a question they were not pressed further and no follow-up questions were allowed...." Click here
WHY WERE NO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ALLOWED AT THE ATHENS MEETING? According to a 2/14/08 UGA Press Release "Each person approaching the microphone will be allowed one initial question and one follow-up question."
Click here
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Plum Island: Deadly Diseases on the Move?
AP Video
Edward Hammond of The Sunshine Project
talks about The Myths of NBAF
Click here for Videos
Download a Flyer!
Download and print this informational flyer to spread the word about why we don't want NBAF. Click Here to Download a Flyer.
Download Edward Hammond's Slide Presentation The Myths of NBAF here (.pdf document)
DO YOU HAVE A LETTER, COMMENTARY OR FORUM THAT WAS NOT PUBLISHED IN THE LOCAL PRESS? Please send it to director@athensfaq.org, and we will post it here.
I attended both four-hour forums sponsored by the federal Department of Homeland Security in connection with the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, and pored over the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, sharing the volume with others.
I firmly believe, on the basis of what was said during the public comment portions of the recent forums, that if DHS presenters really "had ears to hear," it should be abundantly clear NBAF will not be welcome in Athens-Clarke County.
Athens Banner-Herald | Story updated at 6:35 pm on 8/27/2008
Why would the University of Georgia and Athens-Clarke authorities offer the South Milledge Avenue site beside the State Botanical Garden for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility? Stretching one-half to five miles eastward are thousands of homes, hundreds of student apartments, dormitories, five schools and many businesses.
Famed writers Richard Holbrooke and Laurie Garret have given currency to the term “viral sovereign,” used by health experts to refer to deadly viruses. These viruses are considered the sovereign property of nations - even though they cross borders and could pose a pandemic threat to other nations.
Pete, your beautifully written editorial [Pub Notes, Aug. 20], insightful if not inciteful, is greatly appreciated by more people in the Athens community than you might imagine, given the Banner-Herald’s propensity to minimize or even trivialize the NBAF opponents’ numbers and points of view.
I do wish to contest two points that the NBAF proponents like to emphasize, but which are not immutable truths. Points even in your wise commentary you seem to overlook or concede.
The National Bio and Agro-Defense lab offers more pros than cons for Athens.
The prospect of having the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in our backyard has split Athens and the University community into two camps.
Supporters of NBAF cite the increase in employment and research opportunities the facility would bring to the University and to Athens-Clarke County. Opponents of the "Bio-Terror Lab" argue research with deadly pathogens and agents makes the facility unsafe.
By: GREG WILSON
August 26, 2008
Senators Fasano and Stillman Challenge Proposal to Upgrade Plum Island’s Bio Lab Facility
Senators: Population Density, Proximity to International Airports Make Long Island Sound
Too Dangerous for National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
The Aug. 6 letter to the editor from C. Patrick Allen, director of community relations at the University of Georgia ("Local officials have been careful in evaluating NBAF"), claims that if the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility is located in Athens, "it will deliver a very large potential return for a very small - and acceptable - level of risk."
BioRegion News is reporting that the N.C. Consortium is backing off its bid for the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility in Butner, citing strong opposition to the plan. (BioRegion's Web site requires registration to read the full story but is free.)
