This blog post was shared with us by the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Information Analysis Center (CBRNIAC). It is the third entry in our 22-part series produced by the Defense Technical Information Center.
Remember the 2001 anthrax letters? The 1918-19 flu pandemic? Our near miss with the H1N1 flu? The British experience with foot and mouth disease?
When natural and man-made diseases occur, careful cleanup (or decontamination) is essential — especially, when it pertains to bioterrorism or natural pandemics and diseases. Biological decontamination is not only hazardous, but technically demanding and must be complete and thorough to minimize public risk.
To prepare for situations like this, the Department of Defense (DOD) works closely with federal, state and local agencies. With so many different levels of government involvement, establishing an effective platform for communicating ideas and solutions can be challenging. To address this challenge and establish a collaborative environment, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Information Analysis Center (CBRNIAC) organized and led an interagency forum on biological decontamination.
During the latest forum this past September, CBRNIAC engaged experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Guard Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Homeland Security, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Public Health Service, and Naval Surface Warfare Center to explore clean-up requirements, standards (how clean is clean enough?), and useful technologies. Throughout the forum, the importance of consistency developed as a theme — consistency in how agencies approach the development of materials, processes and the collection and analysis of pertinent data.