Environmental Impact Statement Planned for NIH Laboratory at Fort Detrick
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued today a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) associated with the construction and operation of a proposed Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick. A Public Scoping Meeting will be conducted at Whittier Elementary School, 2400 Whittier Drive, in Frederick, MD, at 7:00 p.m. on April 16. The purpose of the Public Scoping Meeting is to describe the National Environmental Policy Act process and solicit public comment on environmental issues and alternatives related to the proposal.
The Proposed Action, construction and operation of a new Integrated Research Facility, will enable researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to safely study disease-causing microbes. The proposed facility will support research at Biosafety Levels (BSL) 2, 3, and 4. The facility will be located on approximately six acres at Fort Detrick near the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). NIAID and USAMRIID have worked together for many years on developing new vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other interventions for infectious diseases.
NIAID, a component of NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, conducts and supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious and immune-mediated illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, illness from potential agents of bioterrorism, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies. Recently, the Institute's resources and expertise have been increasingly applied to studying organisms that might be used as agents of bioterrorism and the response of the human immune system to those organisms. This knowledge will be used to develop new and improved diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies to protect civilians.
Significant issues to be analyzed in the EIS will include safety of laboratory operations; public health and safety; handling, collection, treatment, and disposal of biomedical research waste; and analysis of other risks, as well as concerns for pollution prevention and impacts of the proposed action on air quality and biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, land use and socioeconomic resources.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies.
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