Developing Science-Based Site Security Guidelines

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Practices for appropriately securing agricultural research facilities of the state Agricultural Experiment Staions including systems for managing organisms that cause diseases must be developed. This project will draw on the expertise of facilities managers and scientists within the university sytem, the Federal government, and private sector to develop proposed site security procedures including management of disease-causing organisms. These procedures will be tested in depth in four states. Additionally, all state Agricultural Experiment Stations will be surveyed to identify their current practices. A set of workshops will utilize all of this information in developing guidelines for use by directors of state Agricultural Experiment Stations.

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APPROACH: A workshop of experts will convene to develop draft guidelines for site security assessment needs and to identify priority non-select agents as representative models. The reports of the Inspector General's office and USDA-ARS Guidelines for BL3 and non-BL3 facilities will be used as starting points. Using the draft guidelines from activity one, an in-depth survey will be conducted in four states. Based on results from activity one with refinement through activity two, a prototype survey instrument will be developed and implemented for assessing existing site security and non-select agents at all state Agricultural Experiment Stations. Utilizing the data from all of the above activities, two workshops will be convened to develop recommended guidelines for site security and to develop recommended best management practices fr handling hazardous non-select agents.

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PROGRESS: 2003/09 TO 2007/03 <BR>
Best Management Practices for handling non-select agents at agricultural experiment stations were formulated and presented at national Laboratory Security Workshop in Washington, DC September 7, 2007 (http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/ag biosecurity/pdfs/workshop nipp.pdf ). The purpose of the workshop was to increase awareness of potential security threats and to encourage the implementation of protective measures at laboratories engaged in agricultural and food-related programs in partnership with USDA. The protential audience included USDA Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Security Points of Contact; USDA Leaders and Laboratory Directors; Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Network NCG Members; Steering Committee Representatives from NAHLN, NPDN, and FERN; University Research Leaders (including the Executive Directors of the Regional Associations of State Agricultural Experiment Stations) and Laboratory Security Points of Contact. The Project Committee included representatives from the National Institute for Ag. Security and 4 representative Pilot States (Oklahoma State University, Colorado State/Utah State University, Michigan State University, and West Virginia University. Input was solicited from all State Agricultura Experiment Stations via the ESS/ARD organization, as well as university biosafety and environmental safety officers; Legal counsel and law enforcement; Experiment Station Directors; laboratory and field station managers; scientists; and federal agencies (USDA CSREES, ARS, APHIS NPDN, NADN, DHS Office of University Programs - White House Council on Homeland Security - Congressional Research Service. <BR><BR>

IMPACT: 2003/09 TO 2007/03<BR>
The Best Management Practices formulated for handling non-select agents at agricultural experiment stations should lead to increased laboratory security, improve communication among concerned agencies, and provide cost-effective efficient guidelines for handling non-select agents.