FedEx reportedly not willing to transport packages containing “select agents”
A new story published last night by USA Today has alleged that FedEx “is no longer willing to transport packages containing research specimens of potential bioterror pathogens”. According to the USA Today article, FedEx adopted this stance in the wake of high-profile safety mistakes by an Army lab that unknowingly shipped live anthrax for years.
USA Today said that it had obtained a copy of a letter which FedEx sent to federal regulators.
The article also claimed that FedEx’s director of dangerous goods administration sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on 17 July saying it will no longer accept packages containing “select agents” for transport. “Select agents” is the federal government’s term for highly regulated and/or dangerous viruses, bacteria and toxins).
Continuing the correspondence trail, USA Today said that Melissa Charbonneau, FedEx communications director, issued a statement yesterday (Wednesday, 29 July) saying the action was taken in response to concerns over the military’s recent anthrax shipments, and adding that FedEx has no plans to resume shipments of select agents.
A notice posted on an industry website last Friday (24 July) also said that, effective 17 July, FedEx “will no longer accept for transport Select Agents”. However, the notice added that “FedEx will continue to accept for transport Category A infectious substances”.
