GAO Questions Kansas Research Site
Kansas Washington delegation responds to story.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jul 28, 2009
A story published in the Washington Post questions the selection of Manhattan, Kansas to be the new home of the $700 million National Bio- Agro-Defense Facility. The Post reports that a draft report from the Government Accountability Office says the Department of Homeland Security's analysis of the site was not scientifically defensible in concluding that it could safely handle dangerous animal diseases in Kansas or any other location on the U.S. mainland. GAO called the report rushed and flawed.
Lawmakers from Kansas were quick to respond to the Post story. U.S. Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts along with Representatives Lynn Jenkins, Jerry Moran, and Todd Tiahrt says the story was factually incorrect. In a prepared statement the delegation wrote - building a new, state of the art facility in Kansas is significantly safer than using the current deteriorating and limited facility. They point out that level four bio-security research on human pathogens is already conducted in several other locations in the continental United States.
GAO's draft report said the DHS' assessment of the risk of accidental release of toxins on mainland locations, including Kansas, was based on unrepresentative accident scenarios, outdated modeling, and inadequate information about the sites. The report points out that the agency's analysis of the economic impact of domestic cattle being infected by foot-and-mouth disease played down the financial losses by not considering the worst-case scenario. GAO said there could be regrettable consequences.
The Post reports that a Texas consortium that hoped to lure the DHS facility to San Antonio argues that the agency has wasted millions of dollars trying to justify its choice, and said the GAO's findings show that the selection method was preposterous. The Kansas lawmakers say Texas politics should not interfere with the ability of the United States to aggressively protect plant and animal health.
The criticism of DHS's site selection comes as the proposed research lab was expected to gain construction funding in the congressional appropriations process. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee will hold a hearing this Thursday on the risk analysis of the site.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: animal health
|