Agriculture

Tracking NBAF: National Bio And Agro-Defense Facility Takes Shape In Kansas

In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to replace the old Plum Island Animal Disease Center off Long Island with a facility on the U.S. mainland to study Foot and Mouth Disease and other dangerous pathogens. Kansas won the job in 2008, with a site on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan.But today, more than three years later, the proposed $1.14 billion National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility faces funding obstacles, safety questions, rising costs and political fallout. For Kansas and the Midwest, the stakes couldn’t be higher.Here you’ll find coverage and updates from Harvest Public Media, KCUR and Kansas Public Media.

NBAF Steering Committee Holds First Meeting In Topeka

KCUR | By Laura Ziegler

Published May 29, 2012 at 12:01 PM CDT

The first meeting of a steering committee appointed by Gov. Sam Brownback last summer is taking place this morning in Topeka.

National, state and local officials are meeting to discuss the current state and future of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF.

Tweets out of this morning’s meeting say among the topics being covered are Russian stockpiles of dangerous animal pathogens, Congressional skittishness about funding NBAF due to the political climate, and silence among supporters in D.C.

Senator Pat Roberts reportedly said it's in the interest of the U.S. Senate to keep quiet until the funding situation in Washington changes. K-State officials say they're ready to run with the NBAF and integrate it into the proposed Animal Health Corridor. The Corridor is the concept of a concentrated region of animal disease and food safety research between Kansas University, University of Missouri and Kansas State University. Also, supporters say the current concentration of animal disease companies enhance the potential of the Corridor.

Kansas' Roberts is chair of the committee. Other members include Sen. Jerry Moran, Congressmen Lynn Jenkins, Kevin Yoder, Tim Huelskamp and Mike Pompeo. It also includes former Kansas Governors John Carlin and Mark Parkinson as well as the president of K-State University and the mayor of Manhattan.