U.S. Narrows Picks for Biological Defense Site

The U.S. Homeland Security Department yesterday announced five sites as finalists for a planned $450 million biological defense facility, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, May 14).

Plans call for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility to have the highest level security rating, “BSL-4,” allowing it to handle the deadliest biological agents. The facility would also be the only laboratory in the country to combine studies of human and agricultural disease with research into vaccine countermeasures for animal diseases and animal pathogens that could spread to humans.

“The NBAF, when built, will enhance our nation’s defense against animal and plant disease threats,” DHS Undersecretary Jay Cohen said in a statement.

Texas A&M University, which has been embarrassed recently by failures to disclose research accidents, was not among the five finalists (see GSN, July 2; Homeland Security Department release, July 11).

The proposed 520,000-square-foot facility, which promises at least 300 lab-related jobs, is being planned by Homeland Security and would be managed by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments (Ben Evans, Associated Press/Forbes.com, July 11).

Finalist sites for the facility are located in Mississippi, Kansas, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina.  The Bush administration was originally considering 18 sites spread across 12 states, including the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Experts are scheduled to complete an environmental impact study of the remaining sites in 2008. The Homeland Security Department plans to choose a final site next year, and construction is expected to begin in 2010. The facility is scheduled to start operating in 2013 or 2014.

Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) expressed optimism that Kansas State University will be chosen to house the facility. “We are very well suited and I think we can compete with anybody,” he said. “We stand ready to up the ante or do whatever is necessary (John Milburn, Associated Press/San Jose Mercury News, July 11).

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