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| Outage Exposes Flaws At CDC Lab |
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| posted on Saturday, July 21, 2007 |
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OUTAGE EXPOSES FLAWS AT CDC LAB
By Alison Young
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 20, 2007
Original Link
A federal infectious disease laboratory in DeKalb County is supposed to be a crown jewel in the nation's defense against bioterrorism and other killer diseases.
But an hourlong power outage at the building last month, and the failure of a backup generator system, have raised questions about safety at the facility run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The incident also renews concerns about security and regulation of similar high-containment labs being built across the nation to work with the world's deadliest germs, several experts said.
"This is an astonishing design lapse," said Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist on Rutgers University's biosafety committee. "It's just remarkable that a building of such national prominence, intended for work with some of the most lethal agents, was designed and constructed without an effective backup power system."
The outage shut down air pressure systems designed to contain deadly germs for about 60 minutes. No injuries were reported.
Ebright said CDC should close the lab building until the problem is fixed.
CDC and other experts disagreed. They said the high-containment labs have many layered safety systems that protect scientists and the public even if power fails.
CDC has declined to disclose what experiments were under way when lightning knocked out power June 15. The building's highest-risk labs have not yet opened, but others in use there are of a type that have worked with the 1918 pandemic flu strain, avian influenza and anthrax.
CDC is investigating what caused both electrical breakers to trip in the building, cutting off power without triggering backup generators. Even if the generators had started, the tripped breakers would have blocked power to the $214 million building.
The agency hopes to have the underlying problem diagnosed and fixed soon.
"I don't think there is anything we'll ever be able to do to totally prevent power outages at CDC," said agency spokesman Tom Skinner. "What we have to do is move toward minimizing the duration of the time we are without power."
The University of Georgia is a finalist to host a new anti-terrorism lab. Fears about lab accidents have prompted some communities to oppose construction of such labs and call for better regulation.
Safety concerns
Labs at CDC and elsewhere are designed with four levels of security and safety equipment. The most dangerous work occurs in Biosafety Level 3 and 4 labs.
The new CDC building has a suite of six Biosafety Level 4 labs, designed to contain the likes of Ebola and smallpox, that will begin operations this year. About 500 CDC scientists and staff work in the building's other labs.
When the power went out, a battery-operated system made sure doors and lights operated for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing scientists to shut down experiments safely, said Jon Crane, the building's principal architect.
The generators run special negative air pressure systems, in lab rooms and work cabinets, that help trap high-risk germs. When power was lost, air stopped flowing inward but it didn't rush out, said Dr. Casey Chosewood, CDC's health and safety officer.
Ebright, the Rutgers professor, said the loss of the pressurized air containment posed a risk. "In those cases, there could be potential exposure of the individuals carrying out the experiments," he said.
Beyond safety issues, Jeanne Guillemin, a senior fellow with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program, noted: "All your security that's relying on power just went down. It's not good."
Skinner declined comment on what happened to the building's security, but said CDC's external perimeter security remained intact during the outage.
Ebright, Guillemin and other experts questioned why the design of the building didn't effectively anticipate a lightning strike.
Regulations
CDC largely regulates itself when it comes to its high-containment labs, inspecting the facilities with help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The National Institutes of Health and CDC also publish guidelines for building and running high-containment labs. Following the guidelines is generally a requirement for government funding.
Deborah Wilson, co-editor of the guidelines, said the outage posed no risk.
"Does it give me heartburn? I wouldn't want it to happen in one of my buildings," she said. But outages happen in all labs, she said, adding: "None of this makes me even raise an eyebrow."
In Boston, local regulations require disclosure of the details of lab incidents to city officials and residents.
Last year, Boston became the first U.S. city to regulate BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs. The move was prompted by concern about a BSL-4 lab being built at Boston University, and about tularemia infections among three lab workers that were not promptly reported to local officials.
The city's regulations require all BSL-3 and 4 labs to apply for permits, disclose the nature of their research and undergo regular inspections by the Boston Public Health Commission.
"It's a mechanism to oversee what they're doing," said Tony Gemmellaro, the health commission's director of biological safety.
In Boston, a power outage or any other incident must be reported to the commission within 24 hours. "So we would find out right away and do a follow-up inspection," Gemmellaro said.
Atlanta and DeKalb County officials said they have no authority to inspect CDC's buildings.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has requested documents about the power outage and other safety issues at CDC. The agency has declined to expedite their release, as allowed under federal law, saying "there is no urgency to inform the public."
The occasional lab accident usually only endangers a single scientist. Sometimes, however, a disease can spread outside the lab. In 2004, several cases of SARS were linked to a scientist who was exposed to the virus in a Chinese lab.
CDC labs appear to have a good safety record, said Ed Hammond, U.S. director of the Sunshine Project, an international biodefense watchdog group that monitors labs across the country.
"I'm unaware of them ever infecting anyone in Atlanta. That doesn't mean they couldn't," Hammond said. "With the Level 4 agents like CDC is handling, it's a low-probability event, but it's one of high consequences."
There were 38 incidents from January 2006 through June 2007 in which a CDC employee was potentially exposed to an infectious agent, said Skinner, the CDC spokesman.
Last fall, an accrediting organization placed CDC's animal laboratories on probation, citing serious and recurring issues in the agency's older BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs, among other things. The accreditation was restored in February.
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