Stop The Bioterror Lab

The Blue Ribbon Panel to Advise on the Risk Assessment of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University Medical Center has been established to provide scientific and technical advice to the NIH, through the Advisory Committee to the Director, as the agency responds to the comments and concerns voiced by state and federal courts, the local community, the National Research Council, and the general public regarding the construction and operation of a national biocontainment laboratory at Boston University Medical Center.

The Blue Ribbon Panel comprises experts in infectious diseases, public health and epidemiology, risk assessment, environmental justice, risk communications, biodefense, biosafety, and infectious disease modeling. A listing of Panel members can be found on the NIH site in the membership roster.

Its meetings are open to the public and information regarding meeting dates and agendas can be obtained on the NIH site. Meetings are on this page along with video-cast.

http://videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp?c=998

WHAT: There was a working group meeting of the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel to advise on the Risk Assessment of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at Boston University. Discussions focused on risk communications and the general principles and strategies for effective community outreach and engagement.

WHY: Why were 3 residents invited to come to DC to represent the HUNDREDS of residents from local, city and statewide areas of Massachusetts to the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel meeting on July 16, 2008?

Roxbury and South End residents accepted the NIH invite to voice their continued frustration with the Blue Ribbon Panel and NIH's actions to continue to sponsor DC meetings and not create a Boston forum which all those who oppose or support the BU Bio-Terror facility could attend. This is another example of NIH's and Blue Ribbon Panel's lack of accountability to the community.

View the videocast to see if the Roxbury and South End residents were successful in getting a Boston meeting.