Federal study finds security flaws at NY bio facility

Oct 21, 2003 12:00 PM

Security designed to protect against the theft of animal diseases that could be used by terrorists is "incomplete and limited," according to a General Accounting Office (GAO) study of security at the Plum Island (N.Y.) Animal Disease Center,

New York Newsday

reports.

The report says alarms and door sensors that had been recommended by other security reviews for the biocontainment area "are not fully operational." It says there is inadequate lighting outside the research complex for security cameras.

The report says Plum Island, located off the tip of Long Island's North Fork, is the only place where foot-and-mouth disease can be diagnosed and is also the only place in the country that has vaccines, so terrorists intent on attacking the agricultural economy would only have to compromise the Plum Island lab.

The lab was run by the Department of Agriculture until June, when the Department of Homeland Security took over, but USDA continues to run the research.

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