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  New and Dangerous at Livermore Lab  

A Proposed Bio-Warfare Facility and "Bunker-Busting" Nukes
By Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, Tri-Valley CAREs
March 17, 2003

Thumbing its nose at the nation's environmental laws, the Department of Energy (DOE) on December 16, 2002 granted itself the go-ahead to construct and operate a bio-warfare agent facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The agency signed a "finding of no significant impact," opening the flood gate to the importation of live anthrax, plague and other deadly bio-agents to the Bay Area nuclear weapons lab - all without benefit of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the dangers and alternatives. In making its determination, the DOE ignored nearly 100 letters calling on the agency to conduct an EIS and hold public hearings.

The DOE plans to buy a 1,500 square foot, prefabricated building and place it on a cement slab in the middle of the Lab's one and one-half square mile site. After sealing and testing it for air tightness, DOE says it could have it up and running by the end of this summer.

The bio-warfare facility would be a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3), so it will require double sets of doors and a special ventilation system. Workers will wear protective suits with masks and gloves. According to DOE documents, the bio-agents (e.g., germs, viruses, bacteria, bio-toxins and genetic mods) will arrive by various means, including courier truck and the U.S. Postal Service.

In addition to its obvious health, environment and security risks, a broad range of scientists and policy analysts has harshly criticized the proposed BSL-3 for its potentially devastating impact on the global control of bio-weapons, and on the treaty banning them.

Barbara Rosenberg, chair of the Federation of American Scientists' working group on biological weapons considers it risky to locate a BSL-3 facility inside a working center for the creation of weapons of mass destruction. "It makes a handy excuse for why there can't be any kind of verification that the biological defense work in the lab is in compliance with the ban on biological weapons," she told the Stockton Record.

Tri-Valley CAREs is working with independent scientists and allied groups across the country to oppose the facility. Further, we are investigating the possibility of bringing litigation to compel DOE to conduct a thorough environmental and nonproliferation analysis before operations can begin.

Public education is an important part of our campaign. We have just drafted a petition that can serve as both an outreach tool and a way for people to express their opposition. The bio-petition, Tri-Valley CAREs' comments on the proposed facility and other resources are available on our website at www.trivalleycares.org. We welcome an opportunity to work with the Alameda County Greens as we move this campaign forward.

On a related issue, Tri-Valley CAREs is continuing its work to expose the nuclear weapons programs at Livermore Lab and to eliminate them in favor of peaceful, environmentally-friendly civilian science research initiatives. Currently, Livermore Lab is developing a modification of the B83 "lay-down" nuclear bomb to give it earth-penetrating capability. These new "bunker-busting" nuclear weapons are being touted as militarily usable in Iraq and, more generally, in Bush's open-ended "war on terrorism." Tri-Valley CAREs and allied groups will be shining the spotlight on this and other horrific, destructive programs at the Lab this coming August when we commemorate the dropping of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan by hosting a massive peace rally and action.

In 2003, the Hiroshima commemoration will be held on Sunday, August 10 to facilitate participation by Veterans for Peace following their annual meeting in the Bay Area. We also invite the Greens to co-sponsor, to come and table and, above all, to participate. Working together toward our collective vision of peace, justice and a healthy environment, we will make a difference - locally, nationally and globally!

Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) 2582 Old First Street, Livermore, CA USA 94551 http://www.trivalleycares.org tel. (925) 443-7148; fax (925) 443-0177

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