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UTMB Galveston to Add Biodefense Laboratory
For six years, scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, have tried to sway public opinion to add a biodefense lab at their campus. On March 31, their efforts paid off. During a public hearing conducted by federal officials, only one person spoke against the measure.
Mark Muhich, chairman of the Sierra Club�s Galveston Chapter, said he is confident the UTMB officials will make the lab as safe as possible.
The lab will study some of the world�s deadliest infectious diseases, such as the Ebola virus. One Galveston resident asked if the process could be speeded up considering the threat of a terrorist biological attack on the United States. Federal officials said that because of the necessary environmental impact studies that will be needed before allowing operation of such a lab, the process could not be expedited.
Last fall, UTMB was awarded a $110 million grant for construction of the lab. UTMB will add $57 million of its own funding to build the seven-story facility.
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