The
Sunshine Project
Biodefense Lab Rolling List
Rolling
List of Proposed New/Upgraded US Biodefense BL3 (BSL-3) and BL4 (BSL-4) Facilities
Last updated 5 August 2003
(added Vanderilt University BL-3, updated UTMB entry)
PLEASE
NOTE: THIS LIST IS NO LONGER UPDATED.
PLEASE REFER TO THE MAP OF BIOCONTAINMENT FACILITIES OF THE
US BIODEFENSE PROGRAM FOR MORE RECENT INFORMATION (click
here)
This list is derived from public sources and provides the most up-to-date information available. This is a rolling
list subject to frequent revision. Please submit any additions, corrections, and updates to the Sunshine Project.
Links are provided for some of the less-publicized proposals.
SUMMARY TABLE
Note: Containment level assigned conservatively. Some BL3 listings may be seeking BL4.
"Unknown" are institutions seeking biodefese labs or which are upgrading facilities that
have not specified a containment level.
REGION Total
SitesWEST SOUTHWEST MIDWEST SOUTH MID-ATLANTIC NORTHEAST TOTALS *Includes Univ. of Maryland / Johns Hopkins proposal (see below)
Existing BSL-4 Facilities (4 full labs, total)1. Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta, GA)
2. National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD)
3. USAMRIID / NIH (Fort Detrick, MD)
4. Southwest Institute for Biomedical Research (San Antonio, TX)
[5. Georgia State University (Atlanta, "glovebox" BSL-4)]
BACKYARD BIOWEAPONS: AMERICA'S BIODEFENSE SPENDING SPREE
MAP OF PROPOSED NEW LABS AND LAB UPGRADES (last updated 15 April)
(click thumbnail to view gif image)
DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION
(Last updated 14 May, suitable for printing, 1mb)
Rocky
Mountain Laboratories (RML)
US National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
New BL4
NGO Contacts: Coalition for a Safe Lab
Notes: RML is forseen as one of NIH's new 'intramural' labs built with NIAID funding. Also see Fort Detrick (#13). Hamilton is a small town with some big biotech. Corixa Corporation maintains a vaccine production facility in Hamilton.
Western
National Center for Biodefense and Emerging Diseases
University of California
Davis, CA
New BL4 and new BL3, wants NIAID affiliation
NGO Contacts: Tri-Valley CAREs
Notes: Affiliations include LLNL (see #1), California Department of Health.
Oregon Health and Sciences University
Portland, OR
New BL4
Notes: OHSU and PNNL are collaborating on a NIAID Regional Center Of Excellence proposal, outgrowth of functional genomics collaboration between the institutions. cite. Another cite. This proposal is separate from PNNL's DOE-funded BL3.
Centers for Disease Control
Fort Collins, CO
New Building - Minimum BL3+
Notes: CDC will replace current building with new facility. Vector-borne disease specialists, CDC in Fort Collins spends roughly 25% of its budget on biodefense research (as of 2002). Biodefense focus on plague, tularemia, VEE.
Dugway Proving Ground
US Army, Dugway, UT
New aerosol chamber, BL3 upgrades
NGO Contacts:
Citizen Education Project (Salt Lake City)
Notes: Proposed 200% activity increase. Download a PDF of the summary of the draft environmental impact statement here.
NGO Contacts:
Tri-Valley CAREs,
Western States Legal Foundation
Notes: NEPA "FONSI" (Finding of No Significant Impact) issued, planned operation in July 2003.
Located adjacent to LLNL's Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Facility (EMBF), a laboratory with a 1600+ liter fermenter capacity. LLNL recently sought a new Director of the EMBF, the job description indicated that it required a high-level US security clearance. LLNL has not explained why security clearances are required for employees of a facility purportedly dedicated to developing bioremediation organisms.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
US Department of Energy, Richland, WA
New BL3
Notes: PNNL is upgrading an existing BL2 to BL3 level. This lab is funded by DOE.
Tripler Army Medical Center
US Army
Honolulu, HI
New BL3
Notes: Tripler facility not mentioned in the US Army's systemwide plans (see below).
University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Texas, Galveston, TX
New BL4, wants NIAID affiliation.
NGO Contacts:
Sunshine Project (US)
Notes: First phase of BSL-4 scheduled to open any day. UTMB is now seeking a national biocontainment laboratory and leading a regional center applications under the NIAID program, which will entail physical expansion of BL3/4 space. Affiliations in TX, NM, AR, LA, OK, including 2 primate research centers and 2 DOE facilities - LANL and Sandia National Laboratory. UTMB self-reports as having outstanding community relations; but is refusing to release basic information about its biosafety procedures (see detailed information here).
Texas
Technological University (TTU) / City of Lubbock (note 1)
Reese Air Force Base Site (decommissioned)
Lubbock, TX
New BL4
Notes: Lab proposals in conjunction with the City of Lubbock approved by TTU Board of Regents, Houston architecture firm B2HK retained for design (link).
See Houston Chronicle, City of Lubbock "Community Investment" Budget (BSL-4 line item), Texas Tech University Strategic Plan (2000), Nature.
University
of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
New BL4
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX
New BL4, wants NIAID affiliation.
Notes: Announced intention to seek NIAID funding for new lab, few additional details available.
Los
Alamos National Laboratory
US Department of Energy, Los Alamos, NM
New BL3
NGO Contacts: Los Alamos Study Group, Nuclear Watch of New Mexico
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL
New BL4
Notes: Seeking NIAID BL4 grant.
Homeland
Security Research Center
US Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinatti, OH
BL3 Upgrade
Notes: EPA announcement here. The Ohio State University / Battelle Memorial collaboration to obtain a NIAID 'Regional Center of Excellence' (see below) will seek the operating contract for this facility. Technology cooperation with US Army Edgewood/Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD, cite, also see below on US Army PEIS).
National Agricultural Biosecurity Center
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
New BL3 (minimum)
Notes: US Department of Agriculture affiliation, also Perdue University and Texas A&M University. May be seeking designation as NIAID Regional Center of Biodefense Excellence for Region VII (NB, KS, IA, MO).
Information previously available on the KSU web site has been deleted, as KSU prepares a sophisticated public relations strategy (including Washington consultants) for $40 million lab construction phase.
See: Kansas State cite, media cites here and here, or google "National Agricultural Biosecurity Center".
Center for Biodefense Excellence (Region 5)
University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
New BL3
Notes: NIAID funding program proposal. Facility to be situated at Argonne National Lab. University of Chicago PR announcement.
Center for Biodefense Excellence (Region
5)
Ohio State University / Battelle Memorial Institute
Columbus, OH
(Minimum BL3 upgrade)
Notes: NIAID designation/funding sought. See #21 below, a possible competitor. Region 5 covers: MN, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH. NIAID funding minimally requires appropriate BL3 facility. See OSU research report to trustees for citation (PDF format).
Battelle Memorial Institute
West Jefferson, OH
unknown upgrades
Notes: Biodefense upgrades at this facility are reported both in the US Army Biodefense PEIS and by Ohio State University (Battelle's partner), which states that Battelle is indpendently seeking NIAID funding for a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (BL3 or higher).
Midwest Research Institute
Kansas City, MO
unknown upgrades
Notes: Currently operates BL3 facility and 190m3 bioaerosol chamber. (See below.)
St. Louis University
St. Louis, MO
New BL3
Notes: In consortium with Washington University (St. Louis), Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO - see above) and Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH). New BL3 under NIAID regional biocontainment lab program.
Southern
Research Institute (SRI) / University of Alabama (UAB)
Birmingham, AL
New BL4
Notes: Planning meetings attending by Eli Lilly and other pharma companies. SRI boasts of the high number of top secret clearances among its biodefense staff. It operates biosafety facilities in Frederick, MD, as well as Birmingham. SRI's Biodefense work is headed by retired Col.David Franz, former Commander of USAMRIID at Ft. Detrick. UAB now denies that it plans a BSL-4 facility and may have shelved the plan. A large UAB PDF file on a UAB BSL-4 was posted on UAB's website and is available from the Sunshine Project on request.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN (west of Knoxville, TN)
New BL4
Notes: ORNL is laying the groundwork for a BL4 facility for work related to its genomics and transgenic animals programs. See Oak Ridge's 2003-2007 plan (page 4-9, link, PDF format.)
Southern
Research Institute (SRI)
Birmingham, AL
BL3 upgrades
Notes: To include animal facilities and enhanced bioaerosol capability. SRI promotes its biodefense services by boasting of the high number of its employees who hold "secret" and "top secret" security clearances.
Regional Biocontainment Facility
Duke University / University of North Carolina
Research Triangle Park, NC
New BL3 (minimum)
Notes: NIAID funding program proposal. Local business journal article. Details to follow...
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
New BL-3
Notes: NIAID funding program proposal. A presentation (in powerpoint format) detailing the plan is available here. (Please notify the Sunshine Project if that link disappears.)
Fort
Detrick / National Institutes of Health
Frederick, MD
New (2nd) BL4 lab
Middle Atlantic Regional Center of Excellence
Johns Hopkins Unversity / University of Maryland
Baltimore/College Park, Maryland
New BL4 / Regional Center
Notes: JHU and UMD sought a NIAID BL4 grant for a national biocontainment lab, whihc was not short-listed by NIAID for 2003 funding. A related proposal for a Regional Center of Excellence remains afloat. See request for research proposals here, in Word format. (Please notify Sunshine if this disappears).
Department of Defense
Pentagon Grounds
Washington, DC (physically in northern Virginia)
New BL3
Notes: Prefabricated BL3 unit being manufactured by Certek, Inc. Very little information is available about this facility. The Sunshine Project has confirmed directly with Certek that it is building this prefabricated BL3.
Southern
Research Institute (SRI)
Frederick, MD
BL3 upgrades
Notes: This is the same SRI as in Alabama. This is a major BL3 capacity expansion at SRI's research facility in Frederick, MD (where it works with government facilities at Ft. Detrick).
George Mason University
Manassas, VA
New BL3 bioaerosol chamber
Notes: Chamber is capable of full-body primate exposures. GMU Biodefense is led by Dr. Ken Alibek, a medical doctor and former deputy chief of the Soviet Union's offensive biological weapons program. Dr. Alibek is undoubtedly the world's most notorious bioweaponeer.
Aberdeen Proving Ground
US Army, Aberdeen MD
New BL3
NOTES: This new BSL3, located in the Battelle Eastern Region Technology Center and scheduled to open in March 2003, is distinct from other upgrades at the Aberdeen/Edgewood complex noted in the US Army Biodefense Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIS).
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
New BL3
NOTES: Regional NIAID application.
Edgewood
Chemical Biological Center
US Army, Aberdeen, MD
Unknown upgrades
Notes: Outline of US Army Biodefense Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIS) indicates upgrades will be made. ECBC already operates BL3s and aerosol chambers.
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense
US Army, Edgewood/Aberdeen, MD
unknown upgrades
Notes: Outline of US Army Biodefense Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIS) indicates upgrades will be made. Deals with toxins, possibly live agents.
Naval Surface Weapons Center
US Army/US Navy, Dahlgren, VA
Unknown upgrades
Notes: Oultine of US Army Biodefense Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIS) indicates upgrades will be made.
National Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biodefense
Boston University
Boston, MA
New BL4
NGO Contact: Council for Responsible Genetics
Notes: Intends to propose for NIAID program. BU's press information here (word format). The Council for Responsible Genetics website has pages dedicated to this lab.
Wadsworth Center
New York State Department of Public Health
Albany, NY
New BL4 (affiliated with RPI)
Notes: Wadsworth previously woould not confirm or deny their proposal for a BL4 under the NIAID program ("we're not giving any information on that."); but now is an open applicatant.
Calspan - UB Research Center
Buffalo, NY
BL3 Upgrade
Notes: Already has a 600 m2 bioaerosol chamber, including a smaller explosives unit, both currently reported to be BL2. Calspan is upgrading, including additional animal and BL3 capacity.
Plum
Island Animal Disease Center
US Department of Agriculture, Plum Island, NY
BL3 upgrade
Harvard University
Cambridge. MA
BL3 Upgrade
Withdrawn Biodefense Laboratory Proposals:
1. Utah State
University
(Logan, UT) announced its intent to seek at NIAID-funded new BL4 facility on
October 2002; but quickly abandoned the plan citing a low probability of obtaining
NIAID funding.
