Health Bias
"To [Cambridge's] elected representatives, neighborhood groups and scientific advisory committee, the risks posed by the testing of toxic substances are not acceptable," said Dr. David Ozonoff, a Boston University professor of public health and member of the city's 16-member scientific advisory board. "I have a bias in favor of public health."
Alert Group member Edward Cyr said ADL went to great lengths to make sure the public and city officials did not know about plans to test nerve agents until well after the $1 million Levins laboratory was completed.
"Will ADL tell us they had a spill when they didn't even let us know they built this lab?" Cyr asked.
Threatening retaliatory measures, Cyr added. "If they choose to be bad neighbors, so will we."
"They're trying to convince us that the only reason they're doing research is for the well-being of this community," said John T. O'Connor, a member of the city's advisory board. "Let's make this clear--the reason ADL is in this is for the money and the money alone." O'Connor said in reference to the lucrative Defense Department contract.
During 45 minutes of questions from the audience, ADL President John F. Magee volunteered his firm's expertise to develop "responsible legislation" to regulate supertoxins in Cambridge.
"We will be happy to abide by any regulation that is reasonably established," said Magee, who accused the Toxic Alert Group of opposing the whole concept of chemical warfare testing.
ADL officials also said that, although moving the testing to a remote area would be too costly for the international research firm, they would consider halting the testing altogether if community opposition persisted.
Last month Middlesex Superior Court Judge Robert J. Hallisey upheld Cambridge's nerve gas testing ban, calling the regulation reasonable and enforceable. In the addendum to his decision, Hallisey encouraged an appeals court to overturn his verdict on the basis of the city's procedures in setting up the regulations.
But ADL still maintains that the local ban is "arbitrary and capricious" and filed an appeal on March 5 in what is expected to be a long and bitter fight with the city.
Chemical warfare research in the Levins laboratory will cease until ADL's appeal has been settled, according to company officials