Years ago he was the top bio-safety official at Dugway Proving Ground. Now he says anyone, including a potential terrorist, could easily have smuggled deadly anthrax germs off that Utah base.

The former safety official spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News on Wednesday, and his charges are sensational and disturbing.

Just Tuesday, the FBI confirmed plans to conduct lie detector tests on about 200 people at Dugway and a sister base in Maryland in connection with last year's anthrax mail attack that killed five people.

News Specialist John Hollenhorst has the story.

Dr. Garhard Bienek left Dugway more than eight years ago. But if what he's saying is true, it may be important to the FBI's investigation: Sloppy and porous security controls on the deadly germs.

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He was Dugway's bio-safety chief for a year and a half. When he finally was reassigned to a different job, he was very relieved.

Gerhard Bienek, Ph.D./Former Bio-Safety Chief: "IT WAS A PLEASURE TO GET OUT OF THE HELLHOLE THAT I WAS IN."

Dr. Gerhard Bienek blames several major health problems on his four years at Dugway. He's been on medical disability since 1993.

He's still angry at the way Dugway kept Utah in the dark about what was going on.

GERHARD BIENEK, PH.D./FORMER BIO-SAFETY CHIEF: "AND YOU JUST DON'T LIE TO THE PUBLIC! I MEAN A REPUTABLE MAN JUST DOESN'T LIE TO THE PUBLIC!"

In retrospect, the handling of anthrax is his most disturbing concern.

Before a new facility was built, the work was done at a place called Baker lab.

He says anthrax and other deadly germs were kept in a nitrogen freeze, accessible to about 20 people with security clearances.

GERHARD BIENEK, PH.D./FORMER BIO-SAFETY CHIEF: "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOCKED, BUT MANY TIMES IT WAS OPEN."

Q: "WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT?"

A: "ANYBODY COULD WALK IN AND TAKE OUT WHAT THEY WANT."

Q: "WITHOUT ANY PAPERWORK?

A: (HE NODS IN AGREEMENT)"

And no one might have noticed, he says. Inventory controls were sloppy at best. And when he did notice a discrepancy in the anthrax inventory, a supervisor denied it.

"MY PAPERWORK SHOWED THAT IT SHOULD BE THERE, AND IT WASN'T."

Q: "SO SOMEBODY TOOK IT?"

A: "SOMETHING, TOOK SOMETHING."

And he says a Dugway worker with a bottle of anthrax could have driven off base with little risk of inspection.

"BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T STOP NOBODY. AT LEAST I NEVER GOT STOPPED WHEN I WENT, ALMOST EVERY DAY."

If that had happened in, say 1990, would the germs still be potent in the weeks after September 11th?

"ANTHRAX WILL LAST FOR YEARS. IT DOESNT DIE."

Bienek says he was interviewed by the FBI a few months ago and told them what he told us Wednesday. Army officials so far have chosen not give us a comment on his accusations.

Since it's been several years since Bienek worked at Dugway, it isn't clear whether the concerns he raised are still relevant.