D.C. Mayor Reassures Residents on Bioterrorism Lab

A plan for a bioterrorism laboratory in Washington, D.C. is unlikely to have a “significant impact” on residents, Mayor Anthony Williams said Wednesday (see GSN, Feb. 8).

“Residents can be assured that this does not mean a repository for dangerous chemicals,” Williams, according to the Washington Examiner.

“We’re not talking about bringing Area 51 from Nevada,” Williams added. He indicated that city officials are looking at placing the facility at the site of the former D.C. General Hospital, the Examiner reported.

Some local officials, however, did not seem reassured. It is reasonable to be concerned about a facility that could potentially handle pathogens such as anthrax, said City Council Member Sharon Ambrose (Michael Neibauer, Washington Examiner, Feb. 10).

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