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Amerithrax — Part 10
Page 117
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Q. Is there a regular plan for cleaning? Is the floor cleaned regularly?
A. Not that I know of. I can't rei ber when the lab floor was last cleaned. We used to do weekly
surveillance cultures inside tel pos back in the 1980s, but these are almost never done now.
Although there is a suite sup there frequenth
common suite
Q. Was the intensity of contamination described byL____—when[_] did the surveillance
cultures inside the lab after the incident on April 8 heavier than you would find when surveillance
cultures used to be done?
A. The total intensity of the contamination was greater and also of special concern, since spores
were found on the inside passbox latches as well as on shoes and articles of clothing in the "hot"
changerooms. When conducting surveillance in the past, we would sometimes find a few hot
spots of contamination and clean them up, then re-check to make sure they were OK.
Q. Did you report your concerns about cleaning to anyone?
A.1 believe that | mentioned it to_____ Jin the past. I've also informally talked with other
investigators in the Bacteriology Division about cleaning and cleanliness issues. In the past, if
people have had specific concerns about suite cleaning or cleanliness, they raised the issues in a
general way(as well as the need for improvement) at Division meetings, but no specific individuals
were mentioned at those meetings.
Q. Have there been any other concerns about cleanliness?
A. A few letters came into the Bacteriology Division for analysis during Operation Noble Eagle.
The DSD was concerned that at least one of the samples they had sent to be tested was
contaminated in roo!
Q, Who coordinated the sample processing in room
Al | also worked in there. Normally it is a esearch laboratory.
Q. What live agents come in and out of the B-3 area?
* A. For anthrax aerosol challenges , we send spores out through the passbox in a hard plastic
transport container to be taken to Bldg 1412. Aeros lenges are done there, dose is
confirmed, and data are crunched in 142: thra’ amples do not come back as the’
formerly did several years ago, since the ultures are now done in 1412 byt fd
me. Plague Jnay come back.
A lhave_made spores in room| (Iso We use spores prepared
at Dugway Proving Ground. Also’ Imake spores in our laboratory.
—. spores., . Cultures are grown up in shaker flasks. They are often
centrifuged in| bottles in a large (GS-3) rotor. The rotor is too big to take to the hood, so
the bottles are usually removed from the rotor in the centrifuge.
Q. Are there any secondary containers in that rotor, like sealed cups?
A.No. Sometimes a bottle breaks and you can hear a slurping sound when the bottle is
removed.
Q. Does the centrifuge have a floor hood or other containment system?
A. No. There used to be a system to evacuate the air in the centrifuge through a filter in case
there was a break, but that hasn't been used in years.
Q. That wouldn't help jf there was a broken tube, would it? = *
A. No.
Q. Has the ventilation system worked OK as far as you know? Are there magnehelic gauges at
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