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A group of independent scientists today released the results of their six-month inquiry into the Army's assessment of the risks posed by expansion of biocontainment labs at Fort Detrick in Frederick, doing little to alleviate critics' concerns.

The scientists, who volunteer for the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., called the Army's assessment "inadequate" and "not credible," in part because the Army did not look for other locations for biocontainment labs, where research is done on pathogens such Ebola and Marburg viruses and anthrax.

Leonard Siegel from the Center for Public Environmental Oversight in California, a member of the National Research Council, said that not looking for other locations was a "major shortcoming" by the Army, but he warned residents not to assume such an action would have resulted in a relocation of the biolabs.

The council fell short of calling for a stop to the lab expansion, stating it was "beyond the scope" of the council's assignment.

The council briefed the public on its findings today at the Holiday Inn FSK Mall in Frederick. The review was initiated by the Frederick Board of County Commissioners after hearing complaints from several residents. Commissioners sought help from Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) of Baltimore, who requested the study.

"I'm very disappointed that the Army missed the opportunity to use the Environmental Impact Study to conduct a meaningful assessment of all the possible risks to the public associated with this expansion," Mikulski said in a statement. "This check the box attitude is exactly what we do not need. That is why I fought for this study, and I will keep fighting to ensure that the Army meets its responsibilities to the community."

No one from Fort Detrick spoke at the briefing, and Caree Vander Linden, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Bob Kozak, a member of Frederick Citizens for Biolab Safety, was among the 50 or so people who attended the briefing, and said he remains concerned.

"You say this is not credible and that an alternative location was not considered," he said. "That alone would cause you to recommend that the EIS [environmental impact statement] should be redone."

The council made several recommendations to promote productive communication between the community and Fort Detrick officials, a suggestion that raised a few eyebrows from some in the audience.

Frederick County Commissioner David Gray (R) said he had been "stonewalled" in the past by Detrick officials in seeking information and asked how the committee's recommendations could be enforced.

Some of the recommendations, including a community advisory board, have been tried and failed, according to former Frederick city Mayor Paul Gordon, who is also a columnist for The Gazette.

Nancy Pace of Frederick talked about "a long history of distrust" between Detrick and the community that she said will be hard to overcome.

Council members said based on their meetings with Detrick officials, they are confident protocols and procedures are in place to ensure the safety of Frederick residents and its own researchers and staff.

After the briefing, Joanne Ivancic of Frederick said in an e-mail "one thing is clear" from today's briefing. "It positions the fox to guard the henhouse," she wrote. "... The entity that proposes a project should not be entrusted with determining if any public interest will be harmed or compromised by implementing the project."

E-mail Katherine Heerbrandt at kheerbrandt@gazette.net.