Army cites deep flaws at biodefense lab

An Army report says a one-star general and 11 other people associated with an Army biodefense laboratory face potential punishment for failures that contributed to the mistaken shipment of live anthrax to other labs over a period of years.

The report Friday names Brig. Gen. William E. King, who commanded the lab at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah as a colonel between 2009 and 2011. It faults him for actions that perpetuated a complacent atmosphere among lab workers.

The report's findings were first reported by USA Today.

The report sought to assign blame for conditions at the lab that came under public scrutiny when it was disclosed in May 2015 that live anthrax from the Dugway lab had been shipped by mistake to 194 other labs.