Expert Witness Blog

Livermore-based Tri-Valley CAREs’ has filed a lawsuit challenging the DOE's approval to begin experiments with deadly pathogens such as live anthrax, plague and Q fever in a portable Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility that includes three internal labs... Operations at the Livermore BSL-3 will include genetic modification of bio-weapon agents, raising the possibility that novel, uniquely lethal pathogens will result. Aerosol expert witnesses will no doubt be called to opine on the facility's plan to conduct aerosol (spray) experiments. TriVallycares.com reports:

Genetically manipulating organisms and creating aerosols are two activities that have “dual use,” meaning they can be associated with offensive as well as defensive bio-warfare research. Tri-Valley CAREs and independent experts believe that conducting this research at a classified DOE lab whose mission is the development of nuclear weapons threatens the Biological Weapons Convention, the treaty banning bio-weapons to which the U.S. is a signatory.