Photo by Skip Lawrence James W. Martin, shows one of the heavy, air tight, doors in the quarantine unit known as the "slammer" at Fort Detrick.

Slide show with audio Video: Proper use of a respirator Related Stories Key findings Behind the walls Excerpts from BDM reports What is anthrax? When Fort Detrick is your neighbor Expanded timeline Findings and recommendations Revisiting the anthrax attacks of 2001 Emergency response teams speaking same language Related Files Key Biological Defense Mishap reports Key documents from report on the 2002 breach of containment Sample FOIA documents Additional Info Chart: Breakdown of BDM reports U.S. locations of BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs (Map courtesy of the FAS)

On the fourth anniversary of USAMRIID officials' discovery of anthrax spores outside containment labs, "Beyond the Breach" retraced the incident and studied continuing problems at USAMRIID, as well as improvements in its biosafety and security system.

The News-Post obtained the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's report on the incident and recent reports of potential exposures to biological agents through the Freedom Of Information Act.

"It's important for the newspaper to cover safety at USAMRIID," USAMRMC spokesman Chuck Dasey said Tuesday. "USAMRIID's safety record is very good -- the safety of the workforce and the surrounding community is extremely important to people at Fort Detrick."

Mr. Dasey said USAMRMC plans to submit a letter to the editor of The News-Post this week. He said the stories contained a balanced presentation of facts, but some graphical elements had inaccuracies.

USAMRIID Spokeswoman Caree Vander Linden said Tuesday charts in "Risky Business" (Monday page A-8) did not adequately clarify that agent exposures were potential and did not result in infections.

In e-mailed responses to The News-Post, members of the local activist group Frederick Progressive Action Coalition said "Beyond the Breach" understated the extent of public opposition to Fort Detrick's work and base expansion.

Frederick residents Barry Kissin, a local attorney and Democratic candidate for Congress, and Dr. Malgorzata Schmidt questioned why The News-Post did not include FredPAC's June 5 protest in "When Fort Detrick is your neighbor" (Sunday page A-7).

More than 100 people marched in downtown Frederick in June in protest of bioweapons development and Fort Detrick's planned National Interagency Biodefense Campus. Protesters included members of FredPAC, the Green Party, Women in Black, Democracy Rising, the Peace Resource Center of Frederick and the International Socialist Organization.

"The only thing that is not changing in the ever-expanding Fort Detrick story is the pattern of ignoring the public no matter what we do," Dr. Schmidt wrote Monday.

In an e-mail Sunday, Mr. Kissin wrote, "I applaud The Frederick News-Post for the series it is doing on Fort Detrick, and its diligent research including Freedom Of Information Act requests.

"Our research clearly reveals that official publications cannot be exclusively relied upon in any kind of legitimate effort to learn about bioweapons activity at Fort Detrick," he continued. "It seems to me that so far what always manages to trump local concerns regarding Fort Detrick is this practically automatic assumption that whatever is going on at Detrick is essential to our 'national security.' It is time to question that assumption."

Protest participant Kevin Zeese, a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, wrote in an e-mail to The News-Post on Monday the series coincides well with current Fort Detrick expansion.

"The health risks to Frederick and the potential targeting of Frederick by those opposed to U.S. foreign policy are serious issues not getting enough attention," Mr. Zeese wrote.

Former USAMRIID Commander Erik Henchal, who retired in 2005, submitted an online comment Monday regarding USAMRIID's biosafety and biosurety programs.

"Please note that USAMRIID significantly improved its biosafety and biosurety programs after 2002," Col. Henchal wrote. "I am confident that the vigilant, dedicated and professional staff at USAMRIID will continue to do everything they can to protect the nation and the Frederick community."

Fort Detrick historian and former public affairs officer Norman Covert of Frederick said the series was well-done.

"It is balanced, well-written and realistically presented," he said. "I hope Fort Detrick and/or commanding general will tell you so."

Former Frederick Mayor Paul Gordon said the series minimized the threat of Fort Detrick's experimentation to the community.

"Yours was the typical 'Yeah there are problems in the labs, but so what,'" he wrote in an e-mail to The News-Post. "'They haven't injured anyone beyond the gates -- or so they say. And you took Detrick's word for that."

Mr. Gordon wrote The News-Post ignored the 59 years prior to the 2002 breach and other recent events the series described that would indicate that all is not well at Detrick.