Government regulations of research laboratories, designed to impede terrorists, from gaining possession of biological agents, will most likely not affect research at Boston University, according to Geoffrey Cooper, Biology chairman.
The Uniting and Strengthening America Act Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 was signed by President Bush on Oct. 26.
The act provides for stronger restrictions regarding biological agents in laboratories and thorough background checks of employees working in labs. It is to be re-evaluated by Congress in 2005.
Section 817(b) of the act stipulates that, “Whoever knowingly possesses any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system of a type or in a quantity that, under the circumstances, is not reasonably justified by … research or other peaceful purpose, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years or both.”
Cooper said the new act will probably not alter research practices on campus.
“There’s not very much here at BU that would be affected,” Cooper said.
The restrictions on biological agents were created to prevent public scares similar to the Anthrax scares last fall. The act also provides anti-terrorist laws, including a counter-terrorism fund and modifications to existing anti-terrorism laws.
“I would need to look more closely at the definition of a biological agent [in the act],” Cooper said.
Cooper said labs at BU do not deal with toxins that could be used as biological weapons.
“We do not have anything on the campus that would be of use to terrorists, and I doubt we do on the medical campus either,” he said.
Senior Biology Research Technician Daniel Castellano said people inside the labs are not as concerned about terrorists gaining possession of biological agents as the public is.
The USA PATRIOT Act also requires stricter background checks on employees working in laboratories. The checks will require more than simple criminal history checks.
The employees of BU’s research labs are not likely to be affected by the stricter job screening, but the restrictions and background checks will be beneficial, “as long as normal civil liberties hold,” Castellano said.
Section 102 of the act stipulates that “the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Arab Americans, Muslim Americans and Americans from South Asia, must be protected, and that every effort must be taken to preserve their safety.”
The act discourages racial discrimination, especially the acts of violence that have been committed against Arab and Muslim Americans since the Sept. 11 attacks.
However, according to Section 416, a foreign student monitoring program is to be created to keep records of immigration status. The controversy over racial discrimination has not gone unnoticed.
“I don’t like how non-citizens in this country are treated like second-class human beings,” Castellano said.
Castellano said the act “is probably not as bad as people are making it out to be,” but he will not support it if it infringes on civil liberties.
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