Construction is scheduled to begin today on a new facility for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 18).
Groundbreaking is planned for this afternoon, followed by six years of construction at Fort Detrick, Md. The new site will allow for more study of lethal diseases and should have space for 952 staffers, compared to the 800 now using facilities that date back four to five decades.
The National Academy of Sciences plans to assess health and safety issues raised by observers who believe there has been insufficient consideration regarding the potential release of an infectious agent from the facility (Associated Press/Frederick News-Post, Aug. 27).