A-Infos (en) US, Boston, anarchist journal - BAAM* #16 - Councilors to Vote on Biolab Ban by Jeff Reinhardt

On Monday December 15, the first city council hearing was held on an ordinance to ban Biosafety 
Level 4 Research in the city of Boston. The ordinance, docket 1189, was brought forth by city 
councilor Chuck Turner, who called the hearing despite his current legal turmoil. ---- Councilors 
Michael Ross, Michael Flaherty, and Sam Yoon were the only other councilors present at the hearing 
despite pressure from residents for others to attend. ---- Both Flaherty and Yoon already sponsored 
the bill, so really it was only Ross who was undecided on the issue. Ross' vote would be key, 
however, because he is expecting to replace Maureen Feeney as the next City Council committee chair 
next year. ---- "We're not here tonight to discuss Boston University's capabilities," said Chuck 
Turner at the start of the hearing. "But we're looking at a broader question... whether Boston 
should ever allow a biosafety level 4 lab in the city."

    Since BU announced its plans to build
a BSL4 lab on Albany Street in Roxbury,
it has been met with growing opposition
from local residents and community activ-
ists. The hearing composed of two panels
made up of residents, activists, doctors, and
advocates for other organizations around
Massachusetts.
    Opponents of the lab spoke to the clear
hazards that would be brought to the city
by putting dangerous pathogens, such as
the plague, ebola, and anthrax in the heart
of a bustling, working-class neighborhood.
Besides the local issues, speakers also
touched upon the broader dangers of the
proliferation of BSL4 labs across the coun-
try to supposedly battle bioterrorism.
    Sandy Eastman of the Massachusetts
Nurses Association, which has over 700
workers in the Boston Medical Center right
down the street from the lab spoke to this,
"The greatest single bioterrorist threat in
our country are these labs," she said.
    Pat Hynes, a professor at the BU School
of Public Health also spoke on the first pan-
el. She noted that for the past 77 years there
have only been five of these types of labs
across the whole country. Most of these
labs are placed far away from cities and
towns to ensure that no pathogens could in-
fect local populations. "The density of the
neighborhood and the density of the city
were not considered in the placement of
this lab," she said.
    The hearing went on for a total of four
hours, with speakers continuing to pres-
ent arguments against the lab well into the
night. By 10pm, it was only Turner and
Ross who still remained at their desks.
Turner announced that he would hold an-
other hearing in February where hopefully
all the councilors would be present so there
could be a vote on his ordinance.
    "I want to give each of the councilors an
opportunity to speak to why they support
the lab," said Turner in his closing state-
ment.
    Other cities and towns in the greater Bos-
ton area have already passed bans on BSL4
research since BU announced its plans in
2003. Watertown, Somerville, Cambridge,
Newton, Brookline, and Wellesley have all
passed similar bans.
    The lab itself is currently constructed,
but cannot operate because of pending
lawsuits in both state and federal court,
and a string of four failed risk assessments
done by BU and the National Institutes of
Health, who are providing the major fund-
ing for the lab. "I don't understand why BU
doesn't engage with the folks who came tonight,"
said Ross in his closing statement. "Anyone who
is even considering supporting this facility
should be aware of the risks."

  Photo: Safetynet Organizer Klare
  Allen speaks


With pictures: http://boston.indymedia.org/usermedia/application/1/206465_Baam16_Complete.pdf
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* A General Anarchist Union in the Boston Area
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