The National Institutes of Health yesterday brought closure to one of the city’s major controversies by giving final approval to the Boston University Medical Center’s Level 4 Biosafety lab in the South End. Opponents had argued that the facility, which would conduct research on deadly diseases, created unnecessary risks for millions of Boston residents, while supporters maintained it would be a boon to the city’s burgeoning biotech industries through cutting-edge research and the creation of hundreds of jobs.

But now the debate is over, and it is time for the biolab’s vocal critics to reassess their priorities. Complaining further will accomplish nothing; in fact, it would be counterproductive, distracting leaders of the project from the attention it deserves and exacerbating the very dangers its opponents wish to avoid.

Construction on the biolab is scheduled to begin soon. For its part, the BUMC must keep a close eye on the costs of the facility to ensure that funding remains adequate. The Medical Center is scheduled to receive $128 million in federal funds for the facility — but this type of project is far from the norm. Unforeseen obstacles may cause costs to escalate quickly, and BU must make sure that it doesn’t have to shift funds from the most important area: security.

In this regard, the Medical Center and concerned citizens can work together to lobby the federal government to maintain the level of security officials have promised. While the BUMC will derive significant benefits from the research being conducted at the facility, it is ultimately the government’s responsibility to keep the biolab safe as a matter of national security. After all, it is an important part of the plan to protect the country from the potentially devastating effects of chemical and biological weapons.

In this regard, it would be wise to take a page from Atlanta’s playbook. The Centers for Disease Control, located in the heart of Atlanta, came under intense scrutiny after Sept. 11, 2001, because some considered it an ideal target for terrorists. But more than four years later, there have been no outbreaks in Atlanta or breaches of the public trust in the CDC facility.

This is not to say that a disaster is impossible — BU and Boston caught a whiff of trouble when three lab workers were exposed to tularemia in 2004, and critics of the new biolab have been justifiably concerned about its placement in the heart of the city. Rather, the Atlanta example should serve as a model for how to do things correctly here in Boston.

The BU biolab is no longer a question of “if,” but “how.” With a vigilant public and proper attention to funding, Boston and the BUMC can keep the risks of the facility at a minimum, so that it fulfills its mission as a home for cutting-edge and vital research.