DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah -- While the exterior of a $30 million annex to test defenses against biological weapons at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) is nearly complete, much interior work remains. Completion of the 41,200 square foot facility is expected this summer or early fall.
In August 2014, Big D Construction of Salt Lake City began building the annex that connects to the 32,000 square foot Lothar Salomon Life Sciences Test Facility (LSTF). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the annex's construction.
The 1997 LSTF has six convertible Biosafety Level 3 labs to test defenses against biological agents, but needed more to meet government and commercial testing demands. For decades, DPG has been a major facility for testing biological defenses: detectors, decontaminators, decontaminants, air and water filtration, sampling methodology, protective clothing, etc.
Since 9/11, concern that terrorists, rogue nations or disgruntled individuals would use biological weapons has grown. The need to defend against the world's tiniest weapons is spurred by that concern, and these defenses must be tested.
Dugway Proving Ground is registered to test with live select agents/pathogens up to Biosafety Level 3 -- those with a cure or vaccine. These include pathogens that cause the plague, tularemia, anthrax, Q-fever and yellow fever -- diseases potentially used as weapons. Douglas Andersen, Chief of the Life Sciences Division, noted that the annex will significantly increase DPG's testing capabilities and throughput.
"What we're most excited about is the addition of BSL-3 labs," Andersen said. "It more than doubles our BSL-3 space. This allows us a lot more flexibility in our core mission."
The annex's design is ingenious. Some labs will be designated for specific missions, such as molecular biology, but others will do double-duty. These labs are between parallel BSL-2 or BSL-3 hallways, whose access is controlled.
When a BSL-3 test is underway in a chamber, entry will only be via the BSL-3 hallway; the BSL-2 entry is locked. During a BSL-2 test, entry is only via that hallway, and the BSL-3 entry is locked.
Though construction of the annex will be complete this summer or early fall, it still faces testing by Army Safety, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to ensure it meets rigorous safety requirements and functions as designed.
Once approved, scientists will have new, spacious labs that allow greater room for instruments, equipment and movement. Offices, storage rooms and an 80-seat auditorium are also welcome features. The smaller labs in the LSTF will continue to be used for testing.
Though testing of biological defenses is complex and meticulous, the goal is simple: When a Warfighter, first responder or ally uses equipment or methods tested at DPG, they are assured protection as required. With greater test capability, the interval between testing an item and its approval or rejection will be reduced.
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U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
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