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National Institutes of Health to Revise Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Boston Hot Lab
The National Institutes of Health is expected to revise its environmental impact report within a month on a proposed Biosafety Level 4 laboratory at Boston University due to concerns from local residents, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Jan. 25). The agency has received nearly 35 letters questioning the project, said Valerie Nottingham, chief of the NIH environmental quality branch. The initial NIH review found that the laboratory would not be a danger to nearby residents. The Conservation Law Foundation argued, however, that the agency had not fairly considered whether it would be better to locate the lab in a less populated area, AP reported. While revisions of environmental impact statements are rare, according to Nottingham, they usually are made in response to concerns from the public. “When you put out a draft and you receive a lot of comment from the public, it’s better to put out another draft,” Nottingham said. The revision is expected to provide additional information about why the Boston site was chosen and to further address concerns about airborne emissions, Nottingham said. The agency plans to schedule a public hearing when the new statement is complete, she added. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts secretary of environmental affairs this week requested that Boston University submit a report on three lab workers who were exposed to tularemia last year (Associated Press/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Feb. 4).
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