USDA Laboratory Security Workshop
In September 2007, the USDA Homeland Security Office and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service held a one-day laboratory security workshop at the request of the USDA Office of the Secretary. The purpose of the workshop was to increase awareness of potential security threats and to encourage the implementation of protective measures at laboratories engaged in agricultural and food-related programs in partnership with USDA.
Video footage of the presentations and their associated PowerPoint presentations are available below.
Welcome and Opening Remarks, USDA Secretary Chuck Conner
The USDA is concerned about the prospect of our laboratory technology being used against America 's agricultural infrastructure. The Secretary's office suggested this workshop as both a security refresher and a security update for USDA laboratories as well as laboratories that receive USDA extramural funding.
Select Agent Registration and Associated Issues, Lee Ann Thomas, USDA - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Description of the APHIS/Centers for Disease Control registration process for laboratory possession, use, or transfer of select agents. Includes recently posted guidance to assist laboratories in complying with the security requirements as well as insight on additional laboratory precautions.
Current State of Land Grant University Lab Security, H.M. Harrington, Experiment Station Committee on Policy
Presentation on the institutional and organizational bio-security infrastructure at land-grant universities. This infrastructure ensures that university research and diagnostic laboratories not only comply with federal regulations but also adopt best practices regarding bio-security
Recommendations for Non-select Agents, Terry Nipp, National Institute for Agricultural Security (NIAS)
Guidelines for non-select agent bio-security precautions and recommendations for their use at land grant university laboratories. Developed jointly by NIAS and Oklahoma State University.
DHS Chemical Facility Security, Dennis Deziel, DHS
DHS has recently published regulatory language in the federal register that will eventually regulate facilities that have over a certain amount of selected chemicals. Deziel outlined how this could affect research and diagnostic laboratories as well as their parent organizations.
Moderated Panel Discussion with Q & A
Representatives from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (Barbara Martin), National Plant Diagnostic Network (Kitty Cardwell and Phil Berger), and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (Doug Abbot) presented a short summary relating the day's program to their individual networks. They were joined by other presenters to answer questions from the workshop participants.
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