UNC Labs' Security Might Be Upgraded

Some laboratories on campus could be getting a face-lift in the near future as the University takes measures to comply with new safety regulations designed to combat bioterrorism.

The USA Patriot Act, which Congress passed last October, specified that "select agents," such as smallpox and the Ebola virus, must be controlled in a secure environment.

Further legislation is pending that might require additional security measures, like surveillance cameras and card access, in labs where personnel handle these agents.

"We're not exactly sure what the federal requirement will be," Peter Reinhardt, director of UNC's Department of Environment, Health and Safety, said at a committee meeting about campus security Wednesday.

"We're identifying areas that may need additional security."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention originally set guidelines for the handling of select agents in 1997. After anthrax was found in several letters across the country, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act in October, restricting access to select agents to certain people.

In November, the N.C. General Assembly passed legislation requiring registration of select agents.

Reinhardt said new security measures are in the initial stages of implementation. He said it is easier to make security considerations when planning future buildings than to remodel existing laboratories.

"We are starting to get cost estimates for security improvements," Reinhardt said Monday. "We have actively talked to other universities to see what improvements they have made."

Reinhardt said future bioterrorism legislation could elevate UNC's laboratory security to the level of the federally directed Environmental Protection Agency's on-campus site, which is equipped with security guards and requires visitors to sign a log book.

Increased security would be extremely important if researchers decide in the future to work with agents such as anthrax or smallpox, Reinhardt said.

Because the federal government is interested in preventing bioterrorism, it will most likely offer grants in the future for researchers to work with those agents.

"It's quite possible Carolina researchers would be part of the solution to this public health problem or public health risk," Reinhardt said. "We have a lot of great researchers on this campus."

UNC is ranked 12th in National Institutes of Health funding, and the School of Public Health is ranked second nationally.

Reinhardt said UNC is working to comply with state and federal regulations as well as anticipating future measures.

"We want to be as safe as possible."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.