 Similar reports available for purchase |  | |  |
|
 |
 |
 Detection and Countermeasures Magnetic & Electric Fld Detection & Detectors |
 |
|
The National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility: Issues for Congress
Authors: Dana A. Shea; Jim Monke; Frank Gottron; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE |
| |
Abstract: The agricultural and food infrastructure of the United States is potentially susceptible to terrorist attack using biological pathogens. In addition to the impacts of such an attack on the economy, some animal diseases could potentially be transmitted to humans. (These diseases are known as zoonotic diseases.) Scientific and medical research on plant and animal diseases may lead to the discovery and development of new diagnostics and countermeasures, reducing the risk and impact of a successful terrorist attack. To safeguard the United States against animal disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) engages in foreign animal disease research at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC). With the formation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003, the PIADC facility was transferred from USDA to DHS, though USDA continues its research program at the facility. The DHS has identified the PIADC facility as too old and limited to continue to be the primary facility performing this research. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 tasks the Secretaries of Agriculture and Homeland Security to develop a plan to provide safe, secure, and state-of-the-art agriculture biocontainment laboratories for research and development of diagnostic capabilities and medical countermeasures for foreign animal and zoonotic diseases. To meet these obligations, DHS has announced plans to construct a new facility, the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). This facility would house high-containment laboratories able to handle the pathogens currently under investigation at PIADC, as well as other pathogens of interest. The DHS plans to select the site in 2008 and commission the new laboratories in 2014. The final construction costs would depend on the site location and actual construction time lines, but are projected to exceed $460 million. The plans announced by DHS to establish the NBAF have raised several issues that may interest Congress.
| Description: |
Congressional rept. |
| Pages: |
17 |
| Report Date: |
10 SEP 2007 |
| Report Number: |
A716374 |
Report Unavailable |
| This title is unavailable from Storming Media. We do not know when it might be available, if at all. We list the report on our site for bibliographic completeness, to help our users know what other work has been performed in this field. Please note that as with all titles on this site, we do not have contact information for any of the authors. Nor can we give any suggestions on how one might obtain this report. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Keywords relating to this report:
Email This Abstract