Although the National Institutes of Health issued a report in August hailing the safety of the Boston University Level 4 Biolab, the controversial project was back in the limelight yesterday as concerned citizens, still unconvinced, spoke out against the construction in a forum at Faneuil Hall.
“This could be the biggest mistake we’ve ever made,” said Alisha Sieminski, member of the Stop the Biolab Coalition and professor at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham. “The lab is not going to bring jobs or prestige — it’s dangerous.”
The proposed biolab, which is under construction on the BU Medical Campus in the South End and scheduled for completion next year, will deal with some of the world’s most deadly agents, including the Ebola virus and anthrax.
The NIH released a study Aug. 24 detailing different simulations used to calculate risk in all proposed locations, and a spokeswoman noted the biolab did not pose a greater risk in a densely populated area as opposed to a more suburban or rural setting.
“The simulations show that all three locations proposed have roughly equal risk for three of the diseases studied,” said NIH spokeswoman Valerie Nottingham. “Boston actually suffers no casualties from the River Valley virus according to that simulation.”
Others, however, doubted the reliability of the report.
A hostile audience met Nottingham’s speech with loud boos and jeers. The taunts extended into the comment section of the hearing, in which protesters offered their feelings on the report.
Several attendees held copies of the thick study results and quoted it during the session, using the opportunity to attempt to try to convince Mayor Thomas Menino of the alleged dangers associated with the construction of the biolab.
“For someone who says he’s concerned about issues of justice, I think this is a clear issue of justice that [Menino] should be paying sharp attention to,” said Kate Cloud of Somerville. “No amount of money will change the fact that this lab is a danger to everyone in Boston.”
NIH and BU Medical Campus staff — who remained calm throughout the session and the raucous comment portion — said they came into the hearing expecting strong opposition.
“There will be a group who will constantly be unhappy about the presence of this,” said BUMC associate vice president for research and compliance Ara Tahmassian to The Daily Free Press two weeks ago. “I’m not sure we’re going to change any of those minds.”
The public hearing officially ended at 9 p.m., though a long line of citizens remained to offer additional comments. They were allowed to do so for nearly an hour after closing, and had the option of mailing their concerns via prepaid envelopes that were available at the exits.
NIH representatives declined comment after the presentation.?
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