Global Security Newswire
Daily News on Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Weapons, Terrorism and Related Issues
Bill Would Extend State Oversight to Maryland Disease Laboratories
A bill submitted by a Maryland lawmaker this month would require official state certification and oversight of nongovernmental disease research facilities, the Fredrick News-Post reported on Wednesday (see GSN, Aug. 24, 2011).
The proposal, put forward by state Senator Ron Young, would charge the Maryland Health and Mental Hygiene Department with certifying and watching over any new Biosafety Level 3 and 4 facilities in Maryland, as well as any similarly sensitive operational sites that expand their size by one-tenth or more.
Sites with such security statuses typically deal with potentially lethal biological organisms such as Ebola and anthrax.
"It is my understanding that there are at least four labs in our area, but due to their exemption from the Freedom of Information Act, we cannot be sure of their numbers or locations," according to the lawmaker. whose district covers Frederick and Washington counties (Courtney Mabeus, Fredrick News-Post, Feb. 15).
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NTI Analysis
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Talking Points: Ten Years of GSN's Quote of the Day
Oct. 4, 2011
An anthology of quotes from the "Quote of Day" feature in Global Security Newswire.
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Public Private Partnerships in trust-based public health social networking: Connecting organizations for regional disease surveillance (CORDS)
Aug. 1, 2011
A journal article published in the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology (2011) Volume 17, describing a new trust-based global health security initiative known as CORDS: Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance
Country Profile
United States
This article provides an overview of the United States’ historical and current policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation.
