Boston University officials say construction will continue on the university’s Level 4 Biosafety Laboratory despite reports that safety analyses on the lab were not thorough enough.
A federal review of the lab released earlier this year does not fully analyze the risks of having a lab in such a densely populated area, the National Research Council reported yesterday.
Following a state court order, State Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles requested the NRC review the National Institute of Health’s draft of a required supplemental environmental report on the lab.
“I hope [the council’s peer review] will be of value to NIH in preparation of its final report,” Bowles said in a statement.
The review was based solely on the Institute’s report and was not a statement on the risks of the proposed lab, the NRC said in a press release.
NRC spokesman Bill Kearney said because the state court rejected the NIH’s original draft, the institute will have to submit a revised report.
The council’s review of the draft said the scientific analyses were not “sound and credible,” had not “adequately identified and thoroughly developed worst case scenarios” and lacked sufficient information to compare the risks of the chosen South End location with other possibilities.
The NIH said in a press release it would take into account the NRC’s suggestions as it continued its study and appreciated the council’s “thoughtful and rigorous scientific review.”
BU Medical Campus spokeswoman Ellen Berlin said that the NRC’s report simply “means that another report is necessary,” and left room for changes. She said construction of the biolab should go on as planned.
She directed the the Daily Free Press to a prepared BUMC statement on the National Research Council Report.
“We recognize that the National Research Council report states a number of concerns regarding the NIH methodology and analysis and are confident that the NIH will address those issues in its final report,” the statement says. “The South End site is as safe as or safer than alternative locations.”
“We believe that the lab will be operated safely and is important for public health,” Berlin said.