So, there has been a lot of discussion about these labs with the anthrax case and now the labs in Galveston. Having actually BEEN inside Detrick and seen the suites, and knowing several people who worked there, and having worked at a company that had employees at Detrick (USAMRIID) I think I need to clear up alot of the myths floating around here.
First of all, all these labs are specially constructed and engineered with special filters and flows and air intakes..They are AIRTIGHT. The agents are kept in locked and secured heavy duty freezers..They are worked with in special containment biological cabinets (hoods)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminar_flow_cabinet. The buildings have to meet strict building codes..including I'm sure in Galveston the ability to withstand hurricanes.
Of course lab workers wear the bubble suits with air hoses:
http://www.imageenvision.com/stock_photo/details/0004-0704-0519-1227At Detrick if there is ANY question of possible contamination..the lab worker is put in what is known as "the slammer" a sophisticated isolation/quarantine suite and are kept there for as much as a week.
As for locations of these labs...they aren't randomly or lightly chosen..away from populated areas would be preferable but is not always possible. As I said elsewhere, when Ft. Detrick was originally built the area was pretty isolated. Gradually Frederick grew up around it. Moving these dangerous substances any distance is HIGHLY risky and therefore not undertaken unless necessary.
The CDC has a Level 4 lab..and they are located in Atlanta.
Anyone who thinks that researchers and those in charge don't take safety precautions seriously are not familiar with this area. Nobody wants to work in an environment where their life is in extreme danger. The people who work in these environments are highly skilled professionals..and hard to replace.
As for the research..most of what goes on in these labs are disease research..Not "weapons of mass destruction" labs. Things like a possible vaccine for Ebola have been developed in this lab. Research on deadly diseases like Rift Valley Fever, various Encephalitis virus and Hantaa virus are performed here. Those most of these exotics are problems in other countries, most are too poor to do the research on them. Hantaa virus on the other hand occurs in wild MICE and a deadly outbreak in Arizona a few years ago was caused by mice.
Anyway, thats what these labs are about. Are they highly secured? Yes,of course. But as for all this "secret weapons development" crap..thats bullshit..I've worked on bio defense projects on and off for years and most of it is pretty open actually. I've never even had to have more than a routine drug test/health screen to do these jobs.
Anyway, this is my attempt to educate about these labs.