Report exposes vulnerability of federal labs

Washington - A government report says security is seriously lacking in the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratories. These laboratories also store potentially deadly biological agents.

Scientists, students and foreigners without proper authorizationhave enjoyed "free" access to federal laboratories nationwide, the report says, which adds to security risks.

The events of 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax scare promptedgovernment and private assessments of the facilities and their securitysystems, which experts say are lacking.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's inspector generalnoted in his investigation that many of the agency's 124 laboratorieswere open to theft and unable to track biological agents. Nearly 50 percent oflabs were lacking alarm systems, security fences and surveillance cameras.

"Unauthorized personnel with knowledge of alaboratory's inventory could remove a biological agent and place it in aterrorist's hands long before the theft was discovered," the report says.

One unnamed major laboratory reportedlyhoused a vial of 3 billion doses of vesicular stomatitis virus. The vial couldnot be found. The disease affects livestock and humans.

As a result the USDA has created a 10-year plan to modernize alllaboratories. Meanwhile, Congress has appropriated $113 million of the $450million needed for renovations. The plan is expected to be completed by 2006.

Photo credit: Scott Bauer, USDA-ARS.