WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) today issued the following statement regarding the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on the site specific risk assessment (SSRA) for the proposed new Army’s Medical Countermeasures Test and Evaluation (MCTE) facility at Ft. Detrick. 

“The Army leadership at Ft. Detrick’s proactive partnership with the NAS demonstrates the Army’s understanding of local community concerns and their commitment to protecting their neighbors.  The report points out a number of areas of concern, including that the risk assessment is not ‘sufficient’ to reduce or prevent a potentially hazardous situation from occurring.  We strongly urge that the Army carefully review the numerous recommendations in the report and make the necessary modifications to the design that will ensure the safety of the workers in the facility and the surrounding community.”