Perriello earmarks would help 41 district projects

"Of Perriello’s fiscal 2011 requests, the most expensive earmark would go to the Jefferson Program, a partnership between the University of Virginia and a not-for-profit research corporation called the Battelle Memorial Institute. The $4 million earmark for Battelle’s office in the UVa Research Park would pay for an “innovative electronic interface to survey biological warfare capabilities and threats, whether on the battlefield or through terrorism,” Perriello’s office said. A Battelle spokeswoman said she could not comment, citing confidentiality rules."