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Report Critiques DOD Response to Anthrax Scare
Local agencies and the U.S. Homeland Security Department were not adequately informed or involved as the Defense Department responded to the anthrax scare last month in Northern Virginia, according to a report obtained yesterday by the Associated Press (see GSN, March 28). Officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia prepared the report in response to communications problems between local, state and federal agencies during the two-day scare that began March 14. The report is expected to be released today. The report states that the Defense Department waited too long to inform local officials of possible anthrax contamination at a Pentagon mail facility. The department’s distribution of antibiotics to civilian contractors was not coordinated with nearby health agencies, which increased fears among personnel who did not know if there was actual anthrax contamination, AP reported. “The state and local governments were not sure if they were getting the latest information from DOD, or whether DOD itself was having problems getting clear test information, or both, at various times,” according to a summary of the report. Also, the Homeland Security Department “needs to be involved earlier in such incidents,” a summary states. Further testing of samples from the Pentagon site came up negative for anthrax. An alarm that forced the shutdown of a Defense Department mail facility in Fairfax County was caused by equipment troubles officials thought might be connected to the feared Pentagon contamination, according to the report. The Homeland Security Department is also reviewing the incident, AP reported (Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, April 4).
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