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Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 6 June 2008

Anthrax warning as Crossrail threatens to disturb plague pit

ANTHRAX could be released into Smithfield Market if a 14th century “plague pit” is disrupted during the Crossrail development.
A House of Lords select committee, scrutinising the Crossrail Bill, has revealed that Charterhouse Outer Cemetery has a “medium to high risk” of being contaminated with the deadly bacteria.
The £16 billion Crossrail development – linking east and west London via an underground, high-speed railway – includes plans for a new station in Charterhouse Square, Clerkenwell.
Crossrail admits its giant tunnel-boring machines could smash through an ancient burial ground, where thousands of black death victims were buried in the 14th century.
A report to the select committee stated: “The Charterhouse Outer Cemetery site constitutes a medium or high risk of contamination. An investigation into whether anthrax spores are on the site is in the course of being commissioned.”
Anthrax has been used in biological weapons. It can lie dormant in spore form for centuries, but if disturbed it can spread through the air.
Although anthrax can be deadly if inhaled by humans, it commonly infects livestock, especially pigs.
Smithfield Market Tenants’ Association has told the committee it fears daily deliveries of boxed meat and carcases could be contaminated during the Crossrail development.
It warns that strict inspections, carried out weekly under European law, could result in huge fines for infected meat.
Traders’ leader Greg Lawrence said: “Our main concern is contamination of our meat from the digging and the roadworks. I haven’t heard anything about anthrax but we will be looking into it.”
The Crossrail project is expected to be finished by 2017.
A spokesman for Crossrail said it was aware of the Charterhouse Outer Cemetery and was satisfied that, if anthrax was found, “it would be appropriately dealt with”.
He said: “The outer cemetery of Charterhouse was a 14th century black death burial ground. The southern boundary of the Charterhouse precinct and possibly the cemetery lay further south. If the cemetery does extend this far it would fall within the Crossrail site.”
The House of Lords select committee stated: “If that investigation shows that there are anthrax spores in the ground, the contaminated area will be sealed and material is then removed in sealed containers and taken to appropriately licensed sites to be disposed of under highly secure conditions.”

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