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Press Releases
Fact Sheet: National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leading a requirements analysis process to identify a next-generation biological and agricultural defense facility to replace the important but aging facility at Plum Island, New York. The Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) is an essential component of the national strategy for protecting U.S. agriculture from a bioterrorist attack involving the intentional introduction of foreign animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, as described in the Homeland Security Presidential Directive, “Biodefense for the 21st Century.”
The Plum Island facility was built in the 1950s and is nearing the end of its lifecycle, and the Homeland Security mission requires replacing PIADC with a new facility. The President’s FY06 budget requests $23 million for the needs assessment and design process for a new National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF). In addition to agricultural and animal studies, public health threats from emerging high consequence zoonotic pathogens and the development and licensure of medical countermeasures are generating additional demands for biocontainment laboratory space. DHS is working closely with the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate future needs in the context of this new national facility.
Why a New Facility?
Recognizing that protecting the agricultural infrastructure is a critical element of our Nation’s homeland security, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred the ownership of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS). PIADC is the Nation’s designated facility for studying and responding to foreign animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever. While DHS now has responsibility for operating PIADC, both DHS and USDA conduct programs there as part of an integrated agro-defense strategy.
As our Nation evaluates future research requirements in this area, the need to take specific steps to replace this aging facility to meet the new challenges of the coming decades has become increasingly clear:
PIADC is now 50 years old and is becoming increasingly more costly to maintain.
The laboratory and test space in the current facility is insufficient to support the increasing levels of research and development needed to meet the growing concerns about accidental or intentional introduction of foreign animal diseases into this country, and it is not appropriate for zoonotic disease research.
Homeland Presidential Security Directive 9, “Defense of the United States Agriculture and Food,” states: “The Secretaries of Agriculture and Homeland Security will develop a plan to provide safe, secure and state-of-the-art agriculture biocontainment laboratories that research and develop diagnostic capabilities for foreign animal and zoonotic diseases.”
The Next Steps
To meet these requirements, the President requested $23 million in FY06 for the design and initiation of a National Bio and Agro-defense Facility. In preparation for this process, DHS will conduct a conceptual design study to characterize the key programmatic requirements driving the NBAF design and to analyze the cost and benefit tradeoffs associated with each of these drivers.
This design study will explore three major NBAF options:
Keep the scope the same as the current PIADC mission but build the facilities required to meet the needs of the first half of the 21st century;
Expand the scope to include additional agriculture biocontainment laboratories at biosafety level 3 agriculture, and possibly biosafety level 4 for foreign animal and zoonotic diseases as called for in HSPD-9 as described above; or
Add expanded test and evaluation facilities to support non-clinical testing under the Animal Rule needed to support advanced development of security medical countermeasures by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The options for a location, or locations, for the biocontaiment facilities have not been identified at this time, but will be considered during the conceptual design study. DHS will continue to work closely with USDA and HHS throughout the conceptual design process, which will also include ongoing consultation with other key stakeholders including professional societies and industry groups.
Experts from DHS, USDA and DHHS, will review the key programmatic requirements for each of these options in order to assess key facility determinants such as the amount and type of required laboratory and support space. DHS will also conduct a design solicitation in the coming months in order to be able to better estimate the costs of key components of such a facility, such as biocontainment laboratories, support space, and administrative space.
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Related Information
Fact Sheet: Plum Island Animal Disease Center Transition
August 22, 2005
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Press Releases
Fact Sheet: Plum Island Animal Disease Center Transition
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) became part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (PL 107-296, Section 310), on June 1, 2003.
PIADC will remain an important national asset in which scientists conduct basic and applied research and diagnostic activities to protect the health of livestock on farms across America from foreign disease agents.
DHS has the mission to protect America from terrorist threats including those directed against agriculture. The transfer of PIADC operations facilitates the Department's ability to lead a focused research and development program to prevent, respond to and recover from the intentional introduction of animal diseases.
Facts about the Plum Island Animal Disease Center
PIADC is located on Plum Island, 840 acres that lie 1.5 miles from Orient Point, New York and 9 miles from Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
PIADC has 180 employees, of whom 92 are research scientists with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service.
Plum Island derives its name from the profusion of native plum trees on its beaches. The Island has a storied place in America's colonial, Revolutionary, and military history. Plum Island buttressed the nation's coastal and harbor defenses during the Spanish-American War through World War II.
Plum Island's contribution to animal disease research dates to 1951, under auspices of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. By mid-decade, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds for a new laboratory in response to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Mexico (1946) and Canada (1952); the facilities were transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and a new Plum Island Animal Disease Laboratory was dedicated at the site.
DHS and USDA Have Initiated Joint Management Steps
USDA will continue its research and development and diagnostics programs at PIADC. Research staff will remain employees of the USDA while contributing to PIADC's expanded agro-terrorism mission.
DHS has named Marc Hollander Acting Center Director. Mr. Hollander is Deputy Director for Facilities and Infrastructure in the Office of Research and Development, DHS Science and Technology Directorate.
DHS has assumed administration and management responsibilities for PIADC, encompassing utilities, transportation, facilities and grounds, biocontainment needs, facility security, fire protection and emergency medical services, environmental management, warehousing, and operations and maintenance. DHS will work closely with USDA to modernize the facilities to support both Departments' missions.
Between now and October 1, DHS will conclude a detailed facilities, environmental, and operations assessment as part of an overall PIADC modernization plan.
DHS considers public outreach a critical element of its management, and will work in partnership with USDA to enhance communications with the local community. DHS intends to create an external advisory committee process for PIADC operations.
PIADC Will Support Biological Countermeasures Programs at DHS
PIADC will contribute to DHS's biological countermeasures program in the Department's Science and Technology Directorate. The biological countermeasures program seeks to reduce the probability and potential consequences of a biological attack on the nation's civilian population and its agricultural system.
The biological countermeasures program places its greatest emphasis on high-consequence biological threats, including agricultural diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and high-volume contamination of food supplies.
PIADC Will Continue Its Veterinary Sciences and Animal Health Research
PIADC conducts research on foreign animal diseases that are not present in the United States. DHS has no plans to change PIADC's current research agenda on foreign animal diseases, which focuses primarily on foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever.
International scientific collaboration and commercialization of vaccines and diagnostic tools will remain salient features of PIADC's research agenda.
Work on zoonotic agents - disease-causing organisms that can infect both animals and humans - is not a part of PIADC's research agenda.
The island setting and biocontainment facilities of PIADC permit safe and secure research. PIADC biocontainment facilities operate at a Biosafety Level 3. DHS has no plans in the near or long term for a Biosafety Level 4 facility.
June 6, 2003