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Boston Proposes Rules for Labs Studying Bioagents
Boston laboratories that study biological agents could soon be required to obtain safety permits under new regulations that were to be proposed yesterday by city public health officials, the Boston Globe reported (see GSN, July 12). The regulations would also require that neighborhoods near the facilities be represented on internal safety boards, and call for regular inspections of the laboratories by internal reviewers and city inspectors. Finally, the new regulations would require laboratories working with materials that could be used in a bioterrorist attack to provide a list of dangerous substances and an explanation for the research to the city. Previously, only the federal government had access to this kind of information, according to the Globe. More than 1,000 university, hospital and private biotechnology laboratories in Boston would be subject to the new safety code. Boston officials believe their proposed code is the strictest in the country. “This does seem to be an important time to guarantee that laboratories that are increasing in the city and around the country are operating at the optimal safety level,” said John Auerbach, head of the Boston Public Health Commission. Safety permits issued by the city would be valid for three years, he added. Health officials said that the proposed rules were drafted in response to three Boston University researchers’ exposure to tularemia last year (see GSN, May 11). The regulations also address neighborhood concerns about a planned Boston University laboratory where scientists would work with lethal biological agents. “This will give us some standards to make sure these labs are being monitored,” said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. “'These regulations go a long way to show the city is serious about having biolabs in the city and about the safety of them.” The Boston Public Health Commission must approve the regulations before they take effect. The commission was expected to review the proposal for the first time yesterday. Klare Allen, who leads a group opposed to the proposed Boston University laboratory, said the rules are “a great first step. It’s something that should have been in place a long time ago.” “'If they were being inspected all along, then the scientists wouldn't be hurting themselves,” she added, but said the new regulations would not change her opposition to the new laboratory. Boston is also looking at hiring its first laboratory safety officer, charged with inspecting facilities to ensure they are safely operating. Fines for failure to operate as mandated by the new regulations could be as high as $1,000 per day per violation, according to the Globe (Stephen Smith, Boston Globe, Nov. 15).
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