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SCP-2974 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-2974
Expected annual
$23K
One-time setup
$30K
Annual recurring
$22K
Personnel
2
One-time setup costs are modest and driven by enclosure, hidden surveillance, and optional dehumidification/HVAC work; recurring costs are dominated by part-time staff wages, facility overhead, and contingency/reserve funds.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $30K
Initial Research And Lab Setup $10K
[#16] Advanced/discretionary research and analysis (imaging, sequencing, histology) as a one-time research expenditure.
Cover And Legal $5K
[#19] One-off cover-story, reimbursements, legal fees or amnestic-style interventions depending on aggressiveness of cover-up.
Equipment $4K
[#1, #2, #3, #4, #6, #9] Terrarium, initial hides/substrate/rocks, under-tank heaters + thermostat (with spare), temperature/humidity data logger, IR-capable camera hardware placed out of sight, and lockable cabinet/furniture.
Facilities $4K
[#5, #7] Includes room-level humidity control upgrades or dehumidifier and camera mounting/installation labor (ductwork/HVAC tie-in or dedicated dehumidifier and concealment installation).
Veterinary Deep Diagnostic $2K
[#15] One-off deeper diagnostic events (necropsy, advanced diagnostics) cost estimate.
Training Initial $1K
[#20] Initial SOP development and staff training session setup costs.
Transport Per Move $1K
[#17] Secure transport case and stabilized transfer packaging/courier per move.
Disposal Decommissioning $1K
[#23] Controlled disposal/decommissioning fund and hazardous-waste paperwork if specimen retired.
Media Archival $850
[#18] Digitization/archival of seized media and evidence storage costs.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $22K/yr
Staff Wages $14K/yr
[#11, #12] Part-time animal care technician (0.1–0.25 FTE) and fractional PI/research oversight (0.05–0.1 FTE); includes payroll and benefits.
Facilities Maintenance $3K/yr
[#24] Pro rata facility overhead / allocated rent & utilities (lab space share) and baseline maintenance.
Contingency Reserve $2K/yr
[#25] Small contingency buffer for unexpected costs (sensor failures, emergency parts); recommended 10–20% of annual ops.
Security Monitoring $750/yr
[#10] Electronic access logging, occasional audits, and alarm response contract costs.
Supplies And Consumables $700/yr
[#13, #14] Cleaning supplies, paper towel substrate replacement, gloves, disinfectant, replacement hides/slate, and occasional pre-killed insects for enrichment.
Veterinary And Medical $600/yr
[#15] Annual/basic veterinary checks, pathology budget, and emergency care fund (recurring portion).
Power And Energy $450/yr
[#21] Electricity for heater, sensors, and potential dehumidifier/HVAC allocation.
Research And Monitoring $300/yr
[#8] Data storage, continuous footage/sensor log retention, backups and periodic footage review/audit costs.
Training Refreshers $300/yr
[#20] Annual refresher training and SOP updates.
Maintenance Reserve $200/yr
[#22] Amortized replacement reserve for heater, thermostat, sensors, and terrarium glass.
Logistics And Transport $0/yr
[]
Cover Story And Legal $0/yr
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⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $22K/yr
85.0% probability / year
Normal uneventful year with routine monitoring, maintenance, and part-time staffing only.
routine_husbandry scheduled_maintenance no_incidents
🚨 Minor Incident $24K/yr
8.0% probability / year +$2K vs baseline
Small equipment failure or sensor/heater replacement and minor emergency response.
heater_failure sensor_replacement small_transport_or_repair
🚨 Fire Incident $37K/yr
2.0% probability / year +$15K vs baseline
Thermal/electrical fault causing terrarium fire, equipment loss, emergency veterinary/diagnostics, and temporary relocation.
heat_lamp_or_electrical_fault combustion_damage urgent_replacement_and_recovery
🚨 Research Scaleup $32K/yr
5.0% probability / year +$10K vs baseline
Decision-year to pursue advanced imaging/sequencing and intensive analysis.
approved_advanced_imaging sequencing_or_histology_projects
👥 Personnel 2 total
Role Count Notes
Animal Care Technician 1 0.1–0.25 FTE typical for daily visual checks, weekly inspections and monthly enrichment; accounted in staff_wages.
Research Scientist / PI 1 Fractional PI oversight (0.05–0.1 FTE) for protocol approval and incident review; accounted in staff_wages.
📋 Confidence Notes
Item-level cost ranges are well-described in analyst notes for equipment and staffing, but large uncertainty remains for room-level humidity control (HVAC tie-in vs small dehumidifier), optional advanced research scope, and cover/legal choices; therefore medium confidence.
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