Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) and U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI01) released the following statement regarding the passage of the FY 2010 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act.  The legislation, which focuses on securing our nation’s borders, preparing our nation for a natural or manmade disaster, and providing adequate resources for security within our borders, also includes an important provision on the proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) which is slated for construction in Manhattan, Kansas.  

“We want to thank Chairman Price and members of the Appropriations Committee for restricting funding to DHS for the construction of the NBAF in Manhattan, Kansas until concerns regarding research on foot-and-mouth disease at the facility are addressed,” the congressmen said.

Stupak and Dingell raised concerns regarding the relocation of animal disease research, specifically foot-and-mouth disease, from the isolation of Plum Island to the mainland United States during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in May 2008.  Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious among cattle and swine. It is estimated that an outbreak could cost the nation’s livestock industry $40 billion in damage. 

In July 2009, the Congressmen released a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) listing significant flaws in an Environmental Impact Statement study by DHS that concluded research on foot-and-mouth disease, and other foreign animal diseases, can be conducted safely on the mainland.  Stupak and Dingell called for an independent study to evaluate the risks of researching this potentially devastating disease on the mainland. 

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill prohibits the obligation of construction funds until DHS undertakes a bio-safety and bio-security mitigation risk assessment to determine requirements for the safe operation of NBAF in Manhattan, Kansas.  Once the study is completed, the National Academy of Sciences will provide an independent evaluation of the DHS study.

“I applaud the Appropriations Committee for taking a cautious and responsible approach to the possibility of relocating foot-and-mouth research to the NBAF facility on the mainland,” Stupak said.  “Our livestock industry would be devastated should an outbreak of foot-and-mouth occur on the mainland.  It is vital that any study conducted on this issue be thorough and use accurate and up-to-date information in making its conclusions – something DHS has so far failed to do.  I look forward to the results of the independent study called for in today’s legislation, but I continue to have serious concerns about moving foot-and-mouth disease, and other animal disease research, from Plum Island to the mainland.”

Congressman Dingell said, “We still do not know whether foot-and-mouth disease research can be done safely on the mainland.  The Department of Homeland Security has been hasty in its selection of the site and careless in its studies relating to safety and security of foot-and-mouth disease research at the NBAF.  The inclusion of this provision in the Homeland Security Department funding bill is a good step and I welcome NAS’s independent assessment.  However, I will remain opposed to this transfer until I am fully convinced that there is a compelling reason to transfer foot-and-mouth disease, and other animal disease research, into the heart of cattle country from its isolation on Plum Island.”

The full GAO Report can be found at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09747.pdf