SCP-1497 — SCP-1497 | Cost Breakdown

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SCP-1497 Safe ~ medium confidence

SCP-1497

Expected annual

$1.1M

One-time setup

$955K

Annual recurring

$1.1M

Personnel

One-time startup costs are approximately $954,600 driven by contingency reserve, vehicle, and specialized equipment; recurring annual costs are approximately $1,068,350/yr, dominated by security and research staff wages and amnestic/medical readiness.

🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $955K

Contingency Reserve $625K

[#14] Contingency reserve for local or major public exposure response (recommended reserve midpoint).

Connection Research Initial $88K

[#15] Initial investigative push to explore links to SCP-1528 (travel, sample analysis, consultations).

Initial Retrieval Coverup $85K

[#13] One-time legal/PR/compensation costs associated with documented gallery retrieval event (range midpoint).

Equipment $74K

[#2, #3, #4, #5] Includes redundant sealed container and evidence-bagging materials (#2), bench-top telemanipulator integration (#3), visual-access control hardware/software (#4), and monitoring/sensor suite one-time purchase (#5).

Rapid Response Vehicle $40K

[#11] Vehicle and secure transport crates for rapid containment team (one-time purchase).

Facilities $16K

[#1] Opaque tamper-proof locker with internal cushioning and basic climate control; mid-range estimate.

Initial Research And Lab Setup $15K

[#8] Lab bench setup and initial bench resources to support ongoing study (bench allocation, basic instruments).

Training Development $10K

[#7] One-time development of cognito-hazard avoidance training materials, SOPs, and drills.

Ppe Setup $1K

[#18] Initial purchase of opaque goggles/blindfolds, gloves, and initial consumable stock.

🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $1.1M/yr

Staff Wages $725K/yr

[#6, #8, #10] Security staffing (6 guards including benefits ≈ $375k/yr), research team salaries including benefits ≈ $300k/yr, on-call medic readiness ≈ $50k/yr.

Amnestic Budget $95K/yr

[#10] Annual budget reserve for Class A/C amnestics and administration plus on-call medic readiness costs as specified.

Research And Monitoring $65K/yr

[#9] Controlled testing budget (≈ $30k–$100k/yr; midpoint used) covering participant costs, medical supervision, and testing consumables.

Logistics And Transport $60K/yr

[#11] Standby costs for rapid-response team (personnel/maintenance) and transport readiness.

Medical Monitoring $35K/yr

[#12] Ongoing medical/psychological monitoring and counseling reserve for affected persons.

Supplies And Consumables $21K/yr

[#8, #18] Research consumables and bench costs ≈ $20k/yr plus recurring PPE consumables ≈ $600/yr.

Cover Story And Legal $20K/yr

[#13] Annual legal liaison and PR budget for cover-up and local authority coordination.

Ethical Oversight $20K/yr

[#19] Independent ethical review board and counsel operations.

Training Refreshers $10K/yr

[#7] Annual refresher training and drills for cognito-hazard avoidance and SOP refreshers.

Administrative Overhead $8K/yr

[#16] Site utilities allocation and pro-rated administrative overhead.

Documentation Records $5K/yr

[#20] Secure documentation, classification, and records storage costs.

Insurance Depreciation $4K/yr

[#17] Depreciation and replacement reserve for telemanipulator and related hardware.

Facilities Maintenance $1K/yr

[#5] Annual maintenance and calibration of monitoring/sensor suite and filtered camera systems.

⚡ Cost Scenarios

📊 Baseline (baseline) $1.1M/yr

95.0% probability / year

Normal year with no public exposures or major incidents; routine operations, staffing, research, and readiness expenditures only.

routine_operations scheduled_research no_public_exposure

🚨 Minor Incident $1.1M/yr

4.0% probability / year +$60K vs baseline

Single small public discovery or accidental exposure requiring targeted retrieval, limited amnestic use, and legal response.

public_discovery single_exposure local_media_attention

🚨 Major Exposure $1.6M/yr

1.0% probability / year +$500K vs baseline

Crowded-location exposure requiring large-scale amnestic/medical campaign, extensive cover-up, and significant contingency deployment.

crowded_public_exposure mass_amnestic_campaign significant_legal_exposure

👥 Personnel 10 total

Role	Count	Notes
Security Officer / MTF Agent	6	[#6] Six full-time guards (2 per shift across three shifts) to provide continuous physical security; salary assumptions included in staff_wages.
Research Scientist	1	[#8] One senior researcher dedicated to SCP-1497 research; salary included in staff_wages.
Technician	2	[#8] Two research technicians supporting studies and maintenance; salaries included in staff_wages.
Medical Officer	1	[#10] On-call medic/medical readiness staff for amnestic administration and emergency response; salary included in staff_wages.

📋 Confidence Notes

Analyst notes provide detailed line items and ranges, allowing mid-range point estimates; uncertainty remains around public-exposure scale, legal liability, and policy decisions about dedicated vs. shared staffing, so confidence is medium.

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