SCP-3156 — SCP-3156 | Cost Breakdown

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SCP-3156 Safe ~ medium confidence

SCP-3156

Expected annual

$117K

One-time setup

$162K

Annual recurring

$115K

Personnel

One-time buildout and equipment purchases (~$162k) plus recurring annual operating costs dominated by staff wages and ongoing research/consumables (~$115k/yr). Main cost drivers are personnel, specialized equipment and contingency reserves for remediation.

🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $162K

Equipment $51K

[#2, #4, #5] Terrarium testing chambers (2–4 chambers), monitoring/recording hardware for chambers, and sterilization/decontamination equipment (autoclave/UV/fogger).

Contingency Remediation Reserve $50K

[#22] Contingent reserve for worst-case remediation (targeted remediation and limited structural repairs).

Specialized Assays Initial Estimate $20K

[#13] One-time/per-study specialized assays (outsourced sequencing/micro-CT or initial project budget for first in-depth study).

Facilities $15K

[#1, #3] Secure containment locker modifications, localized HVAC/filtered ventilation installation and associated structural/electrical work.

Initial Research And Lab Setup $14K

[#12] Initial server/licenses and basic research lab instruments/microscope purchase to enable testing and data capture.

Emergency Response Equipment $6K

[#14] One-time purchase of rapid-response equipment: additional foggers, sealed transport boxes, traps, and sealed containers for mitigation readiness.

Training And Sop Development $3K

[#10] Initial staff training, SOP development and safety briefings (one-time).

Permits Initial $2K

[#16] Initial permits and regulatory fees for species handling/capture.

Initial Spares $600

[#18] Initial spare lids, containers, seals and small tool spares.

🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $115K/yr

Staff Wages $72K/yr

[#9] Incremental personnel allocations: PI oversight (fractional), 1 part-time lab technician, entomologist consultant and incremental security coverage (total incremental $45k–$100k; baseline mid estimate used).

Cover Story And Legal $10K/yr

[#17] Legal retainer/PR/cover-story budget for leaks, FOIA responses and incident management.

Research And Monitoring $8K/yr

[#4, #12, #13] Recurring data storage/cloud, software maintenance/licenses, and modest recurring budget for sequencing/assays and monitoring (ongoing project work).

Supplies And Consumables $6K/yr

[#6, #7, #18] Consumables per 30-day test (substrate, food, adhesives), PPE and small tools, and annual replacement of containers/lids.

Facilities Maintenance $4K/yr

[#15] Pro-rated utilities (electricity for HVAC/cameras), water, routine maintenance of chambers and filters.

Emergency Response Readiness $3K/yr

[#14] Annual readiness drills, replacement emergency supplies and minor replenishment for rapid-response team.

Permits And Insurance $3K/yr

[#16] Annual permit renewals and incremental liability/research insurance premiums.

Ethical Oversight $2K/yr

[#20] Ethics/IRB review fees and occasional psychological support for staff observing unusual behaviour.

Specimen Acquisition $2K/yr

[#8] Costs to collect/purchase insects or arachnids and maintain quarantine cohorts (permits/transport variable).

Logistics And Transport $2K/yr

[#19] Secure transport cases, vehicle/courier costs for specimen movement and field collections.

Waste Disposal $2K/yr

[#11] Contracted biohazard waste disposal or incineration of contaminated substrate and used PPE.

Training Refreshers $1K/yr

[#10] Annual refresher training and SOP updates.

Long Term Research Budget $0/yr

[#21] Optional large-scale longitudinal research program (not assumed in baseline; $50k–$250k/yr if activated).

⚡ Cost Scenarios

📊 Baseline (baseline) $115K/yr

94.0% probability / year

Normal year with routine testing, maintenance and no containment incidents.

no_incident routine_testing regular_maintenance

🚨 Minor Incident $130K/yr

5.0% probability / year +$15K vs baseline

Localized containment issue requiring rapid-response eradication and overtime, with limited equipment/supply replacement.

small_escape persistence_of_colony_beyond_test localized_fumigation

🚨 Major Breach $265K/yr

1.0% probability / year +$150K vs baseline

Significant escape requiring facility-wide fumigation, structural repairs, extended quarantine and public-health coordination.

colony_spread public_exposure large_scale_remediation

👥 Personnel 4 total

Role	Count	Notes
Research Scientist / PI	1	[#9] Fractional PI oversight allocation (partial FTE reflected in staff_wages estimate).
Research Technician / Lab Technician (part-time)	1	[#9] One part-time technician for sample prep, cleaning and daily checks (budgeted as part-time salary).
Entomologist Consultant	1	[#9] External or part-time entomologist for species ID and health assessments (contracted).
Security Officer / MTF Agent (incremental)	1	[#9] Incremental security coverage allocation to support tests and rapid-response readiness.

📋 Confidence Notes

Analyst notes provide granular line-item ranges allowing reasonable mid-point estimates, but many items (research intensity, incident frequency, and optional long-term programs) are variable; therefore confidence is medium.

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