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Washington, D.C—The head of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today criticized an announcement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it plans to close seven of its 13 labs around the country.

“This foolish decision not only poses a serious risk to the nation,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley, “it is a direct slap in the face at members of both the House and Senate who requested a delay in any such decision while the FDA provides them with further and detailed information.” She promised to work with members of Congress in an attempt to avert the shutdowns.

The FDA letter to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) from agency head Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach identified the labs to be closed as those located in Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Winchester, Mass.

To date, President Kelley said, “FDA has made no supportable case whatsoever that consolidating its labs will enhance the safety of the public.” In fact, she said, the reverse is more likely to be the result, as skilled and experienced scientists and researchers leave federal service for the private sector rather than uproot their families and lives to move to a new location.

Employees of the FDA labs conduct research and product analysis, among many other duties critical to the safety of food, drugs and medical devices. Some of the facilities have highly-specialized expertise vital to the protection of the public.

The Massachusetts lab, for example, is uniquely capable of testing foods for radioactive contamination, and medical devices—such as diagnostic x-ray systems, dental equipment and mammography equipment—for safety and efficacy.

FDA identified the labs to be closed in a lengthy letter to Sen. Kennedy, who in late January organized a letter from a bipartisan group of 20 senators to the FDA seeking a halt to the plan. That letter, in turn, was followed by a bipartisan letter to the agency from 25 members of the House, organized by Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) and Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) that sought a halt to the plan until Congress had conducted a thorough review of its impact.

Under the FDA proposal to reorganize its Office of Regulatory Affairs, the agency’s six remaining labs would be ‘enhanced,’ the agency said, with personnel, equipment and resources from the closed labs. The remaining facilities would be in Jamaica, N.Y.; Atlanta, Jefferson, Ark., Irvine, Calif.; Bothell, Wash., and Cincinnati.

NTEU represents some 5,200 FDA employees, of whom some 600 work in the present labs.

Along with arguing that FDA has failed to make any case for the current proposed consolidation, Kelley pointed to a similar agency failure a decade ago when it sought to take similar action. At that time, the then-named General Accounting Office issued a report highly critical of the FDA plan, highlighting the fact that the agency had offered no proof that large laboratories are more efficient than medium-sized facilities.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 30 agencies and departments.