Editor's Note: The Ad Hoc Group is now in its fifth year of negotiation and the Protocol to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is essentially complete. There is widespread agreement that the Protocol should be completed within the next 12 months -- and the Heads of State and Government of the G8 committed themselves to conclude the negotiations as early as possible in 2001. A few issues remain to be resolved and as the negotiators and capitals are now focussing on these issues prior to the November/December 2000 Ad Hoc Group session, this extended article addressing these remaining issues and how they can be resolved is indeed timely for ASA Newsletter 00-5. An advantage to Protocol completion will be early implementation of an OPBW which may be needed, unfortunately, sooner than later.

The Ad Hoc Group: Resolving the Remaining Issues

by Graham S Pearson

The Ad Hoc Group Protocol is Within Reach (ASA 00-3)(LINK THIS) reported on the nineteenth Ad Hoc Group (AHG) session in March 2000 when a number of States Parties made political statements to mark the 25th anniversary of the entry into force on 26 March 1975 of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) showing that the political will is there to complete the negotiation of the Protocol to strengthen the Convention. This article reports on the outcome of the four week twentieth session held on 10 July to 4 August 2000, during which a new phase of the negotiations began focussing on the resolution of the remaining issues.

 Ventilation Kinetics of Sealed Shelters

by Evan E. Koslow Ph.D.

Introduction
The kinetics of vapor penetration into sealed enclosures has been extensively studied. In most cases, the sealed enclosure is supplied with purified air from a combined HEPA and activated carbon filter and a net positive pressure is maintained into the shelter to substantially eliminate the diffusion of toxic vapors from the external environment.

However, the special case of shelters that have no air purification equipment has also been studied. In these cases, the shelter simply delays the diffusion of toxic vapors, gases, or particulates. It is assumed that some residual leakage is always present. Therefore, this type of protective shelter can provide only short-term protection from an external threat.

Full Article

The seventh meeting in the CBMTS series:

CBMTS-Industry II ASA web site:
http://www.asanltr.com/wbiot.htm

CBMTS - Industry II
science, medicine and anti-terrorism measures

The First World Congress on Chemical and Biological Terrorism World response - science and medicine

Dubrovnik, Croatia
22 - 27 April 2001

Excelsior Hotel, Dubrovnik. The CBMTS - Industry II, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and under the auspices of the Government of Croatia, is very pleased to present this most important meeting on the topic of chemical and biological terrorism. This Congress will explore the scientific, medical and policy aspects of chemical and biological terrorism. We will consider the effects of terrorism on the community and individuals, military and civilian, and on the infrastructure at each echelon of government. This Industry II will also consider and build on the base of knowledge established at Industry I when the CBMTS recognized that one particular area was not addressed by convention, agreement or treaty: the terrorist or combat threat to the chemical, petrochemical, oil, pharmaceutical, biochemical, food and other industries.

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For the Professional in Government and Industry with an interest in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense, Disarmament and Verification; Emergency and Disaster Medical Planning; Industrial Health and Safety; and Environmental Protection