CDC Power Outage Prompts Congressional Consideration of Biocontainment Security

The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing in early October of 2007 to evaluate the safety and security issues of biocontainment and infectious disease research facilities. Prompted in part by the June 15, 2007 power failure at the CDC’s new $214 million laboratory in Atlanta, the session will investigate recent releases and incidents at high containment sites. In Atlanta, BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories were in use when lightning eliminated power to the building for an hour, and backup generators failed to come on due to tripped breakers. The CDC has ascertained that the backup power was not at fault; the building's lightning protection system, now repaired, was damaged by construction at a nearby CDC facility. A new grounding system has been implemented. No injuries were reported, although negative air pressure systems were nonfunctional during the power outage. Redundant barriers and safety systems were in place to prevent the release of pathogens. A battery powered system enabled doors and lights to operate for 15 to 20 minutes after the outage, allowing scientists to shut down their experiments.