DHS Completes Second Down-Select of Proposed Sites for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (S&T) directorate announced that five sites have advanced to the next phase in the competitive process to select the location of the proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). The following sites, in alphabetical order, have advanced to the next phase:

• Flora Industrial Park, Madison County, Miss.
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.
• Texas Research Park, San Antonio, Texas
• Umstead Research Farm, Granville County, N.C.
• University of Georgia/South Milledge Ave., Athens, Ga.

"The NBAF, when built, will enhance our nation's defense against animal and plant disease threats," said Jay Cohen, Under Secretary of S&T. "The hard work that each consortium put in throughout this rigorous and competitive process is very admirable."

The next step in the selection process is to conduct an environmental impact statement (EIS) of the sites as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. The department will use the EIS to determine site suitability, with final selection in early fiscal year 2009.  

A joint activity with the departments of Agriculture and the Health and Human Services, the NBAF will address biological and agricultural security risks in a state-of-the-art Bio Safety Level 4 (BSL-4) facility. The facility will be equipped with numerous laboratories to conduct research involving diseases that may be transmitted between humans, diseases that may be transmitted from animals to humans, as well as and foreign animal diseases. The NBAF mission includes the development of vaccine countermeasures for foreign animal diseases and development of advanced test and evaluation capabilities.