Should Fort Detrick Bio-Defense Research Expansion be Reviewed?

Frederick County Commissioner David Gray (R) pushed for the recently held public Forum to allow additional testimony on the planned expansion of biological research labs at Fort Detrick located in Frederick, Maryland for the purpose of defensive research on deadly pathogens.

This Forum occurred after many individuals had lobbied him hard for the need for additional testimony to be heard. They succeeded in having four of the five member board of county commissioners present for the meeting. Republican John Thompson was the only commissioner not present at the community forum held in the Hearing Room of the City of Frederick government offices. However, no representatives from the federal government or Fort Detrick attended the Forum.

The main point by those providing testimony pertained to if sufficient effort was undertaken by the government in looking for alternative sites to locate these biological research labs. One would reason that this type of research, regardless of security and containment measures should occur in a remote area. The City of Frederick happens to be one of the fastest growing communities in Maryland.

The argument by many who testified was the need to review the process the government undertook to review alternative sites, one section of the required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted on this project.

They were requesting the Frederick County Government join in a judicial review of this process. Presumably due to all the required steps leading to approval of the Fort Detrick expansion have already been met and the cost of pursuing a judicial review is cost prohibitive for individuals.

Judging by the reaction by several of the commissioners following the meeting, it is doubtful Frederick County Government will join in this suit. At the end of the Forum, Commissioner Charles Jenkins (R) asked a local attorney who was providing testimony to give his estimate of the cost of a judicial review. This lead to a heated exchange between the two with the Commissioner leaving the room. Commissioner Kai Hagen (D) thanked people for their testimony but did not offer any support for their request. Finally, Board President Jan Gardner (D) made a statement saying she had been in touch with an aide to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (Md) and was hopeful of another public meeting with representatives of the federal government and Fort Detrick present.

This idea presented by Commissioner Gardner should be actively pursued by the entire Board of Commissioners as well as the elected officials of the City of Frederick. At this Forum only four of the over 50 people who testified spoke in favor of the planned expansion.

The efforts of this group of concerned citizens to be heard may be too late for the required public notices, but concerns of citizens as to the health and safety of the community in which they live should never be too late to be heard.

Regardless of whether required public notices and meetings have been met, local elected officials should encourage representatives from the federal government and Fort Detrick to attend a well publicized Forum. Then they will be able to answer additional questions from concerned citizens of the community.

At one point in the history of Fort Detrick, biological warfare research involving highly toxic pathogens was conducted in secret. This was disclosed when President Richard Nixon announced the United States was ending research in this area.

While the involvement in the local community and the safety record of Fort Detrick is excellent, it is not without mishaps. Grady and Tina O'Rear testified at the forum that the wells of their home and other adjoining properties they own had been contaminated and they had to hook up to public water lines. Nearby the O'Rear properties it is likely improper disposal of material in the past led to the multi million clean up of the land presumed to have been used as a Dump by Fort Detrick.

Over the years, Fort Detrick has been active in the community in many positive ways, worked hard at being a good neighbor, and has been the largest employer in Frederick County.

However, all of these wonderful efforts and benefits received from Fort Detrick does not mean additional discussion should not be held concerning the health and safety of the surrounding community as a result of planned expansion.

The issue is not whether Fort Detrick has been a good neighbor and provided employment to many within the community. The issue is the health and safety of the community. The risk of a deadly pathogen escaping from secured and contained labs is very unlikely. The risk of a terrorist act on this facility is also probably minute. However, an unfortunate incident involving a deadly pathogen could have a devastating effect on the community.

In spite of the benefits to the community from the planned growth and jobs that would result from this expansion, it should be demonstrated exhaustive efforts were made to examine alternative remote areas for this research.

The argument supporting the need for the government to conduct this type of research for defensive purposes is a strong one. However, every effort should be made to locate the labs in a extremely desolate area.

Why not hold another public forum and ask the representatives from Fort Detrick and the federal government to explain the efforts that were made to search for alternatives sites?