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1953 Construction was completed on Building 470, a pilot
plant for production of microorganisms thought to have use as weapons.
1954-65 Small-scale pilot-plant production and laboratory-scale
research of microorganisms, most notably, Bacillus anthracis, etiologic
agent of anthrax.
1965-69 Continued laboratory-scale research.
1969 U.S. renunciation of biological weapons, cessation of the
U.S. program, and destruction of stockpiles. Building 470 became a storage
facility.
1970-71 Decontamination and decommissioning of the building.
Over 1300 samples were taken in the building to verify successful decontamination.
1971 Building 470 and Fort Detrick buildings declared safe for
occupancy by those not immunized against anthrax. Surrounding buildings
were deeded to the National Institutes of Health and retrofitted for cancer
and infectious disease research.
1988 Department of Defense transferred ownership of Building
470 to the National Cancer Institute. The building, used only as a storage
facility for almost 18 years, was in a state of structural deterioration,
according to civil engineers at Ft. Detrick.
1997 A report determined that the reuse or renovation of Building
was impractical and recommended demolition as the “fiscally prudent
alternative.”
2000 In March, operations contract staff at Ft. Detrick issued
a report on the structural integrity of Building 470. The report, based
on a thorough inspection of the facility, identified numerous safety and
structural deficiencies. These included a severely damaged roof; water
intrusion into structural steel; buckling and outward deflection of exterior
mortar and brick veneer; corroded beams, columns, and lintels; and cracked
and peeling plaster and paint.
2000 In April the National Institutes of Health approved the
concept of demolition. A panel of three independent biological safety
experts reviewed the existing data on sampling and testing, and determined
that construction and demolition workers did not need to be immunized
against anthrax to dismantle the building. The experts’ report did
note presence of pigeon guano and potential health risk resulting from
it.
2001 National Environmental Policy Act and Historic Preservation
Act documentation were completed in anticipation of dismantling and demolition.
Professional engineers conducted a search for an appropriate firm to perform
the demolition, including mitigation of any residual hazards, especially
lead or asbestos.
2002 In October, Southern Research Institute took an additional
790 samples in the building to verify decontamination. The samples were
tested for presence of B. anthracis using standard culture methods and
more sensitive methods using DNA; all samples were negative for any trace
of the bacterium that causes anthrax.
November 2002 to Present Some 20 information sessions, detailing
the history, decontamination and dismantling plans have been presented
for NCI-Frederick and Fort Detrick employees.
February 2003 Articles and stories in newspapers and the electronic
media on the planned dismantlement of Building 470
The Path Ahead:
Winter 2003: Asbestos removal
Spring 2003: Phase 2 dismantlement: removal of equipment and
non-loadbearing walls
Summer or Autumn 2003: Phase 3 dismantlement: removal of building
shell
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