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 Supporters Plan To Keep Fighting

KCUR | By Stephen Koranda

Published May 29, 2012 at 4:00 PM CDT

Supporters of a planned federal disease lab in Kansas say they'll continue fighting for the project, despite some budget setbacks.

The National Bio and Agro- Defense Facility, or NBAF, is slated to be built near Manhattan. A steering committee appointed by Governor Sam Brownback met today for the first time to review the project.

The committee includes Republican Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins. She's confident construction of the lab will take place.

"I'm optimistic that we're going to keep moving forward and keep it on track and keep it on the time frame that we all had anticipated, but it has proven to be a little heavier lift than what we'd originally planned," Jenkins said.

President Obama did not include additional funding for the project in his 2013 budget proposal earlier this year. But members of the House are trying to secure $75 million more for NBAF.