San Carlos bans high-risk biolabs

“We should be clear to industry, clear to our community that there is a lot of legitimate good research that can be done at safety level three, but next door to our valued east side neighborhood isn’t where I am comfortable with it being located,” Vice Mayor John Dugan said at the June 26 meeting.

The two levels typically involve research into high-risk and strictly regulated microbes such as yellow fever and West Nile virus for level 3 and Ebola for level 4, according to Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, a biosafety company based in Massachusetts.

Councilmember Sara McDowell remained hesitant about allowing higher levels due to the staff time needed to review any reported issues. She also noted the east side innovation district that will house most future labs is close to residential neighborhoods.

“San Carlos does not need to be all things to all developers,” McDowell said. “We can say no.”

The council was considering several versions of an ordinance that would ban both BSL-3 and BSL-4 or ban BSL-4 but allow BSL-3 with certain permits. The four levels are BSL-1, BSL-2, BSL-3 and BSL-4, with BSL-4 requiring the highest biosafety containment level. No BSL 4 labs exist in California, with only seven nationwide, according to globalbiolabs.org. A handful of BSL 3 labs are in the Bay Area but can be challenging to track because the labs are often built for specific research projects and then decommissioned once the project is complete, according to the city. Retrofitting existing physical spaces to make BSL-3 laboratories is also demanding. The city has no regulations for biological research activities or biosafety levels, and no city within the county has an outright ban on BSL-3 activity.

Councilmembers Ron Collins and Pranita Venkatesh favored allowing BSL-3 labs, with Collins noting higher-risk labs have helped advance research needed to cure diseases, and even if San Carlos did not allow the labs, neighboring cities could allow them in their community.

“I am not a big advocate of total bans, and I think we should think long and hard about that,” Collins said.

Several speakers spoke in favor of allowing higher levels of containment and were against placing restrictions on life science companies that might prevent companies from wanting to set up in San Carlos. The city has seen a booming life science and biotech sector on its east side, bringing economic growth and jobs to the area.

“Not only are there benefits to having these companies here from a financial standpoint but a nonfinancial standpoint as well,” Scott Jeffries, a resident of San Carlos, said.

The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter advocated for banning level three and four labs.

Several people were concerned about having a level three lab near residential areas, maintaining there were significant public health and environmental safety issues with them.

“We are optimistic that you will continue to be progressive leaders who have consistently demonstrated that you listen to members of the public, recognize the risks, and will not hesitate to enact ordinances that will provide the highest level of protection to ensure public health and environmental safety in our flood-prone city,” Debbie and Gary Baldocchi said in a letter to the city.