Showing posts tagged “NBAF”
Lisa Sorg ·
27 Jul 2009, 12:00 PM ·
Comment
If you’re still unconvinced that the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility would have been a bad deal for North Carolina, then read today’s Washington Post story about the Department of Homeland Security’s “rushed, flawed study” to justify its decision to locate the federal disease research lab in Kansas.
The Government Accountability Office issued the study, a draft of which the Post obtained, which went on to say the department’s analysis 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.
Repeat: Or any other location on the U.S. mainland. That would include Butner, one of six finalists for the federal disease research lab. Butner fell out of the running after citizen activists with the Granville Nonviolent Action Team persuaded elected local, state and federal officials to withdraw their support.
The Post quotes the GAO’s draft report as saying the agency’s 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release of toxins on mainland locations, including Kansas, was based on “unrepresentative accident scenarios,” “outdated modeling” and “inadequate” information about the sites.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 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.
Congress still has not funded the project, which is in litigation after Texas sued Homeland Security, alleging the department’s decision to site the NBAF in Kansas was politically motivated. Texas wants the facility.
North Carolina, business, environment Department of Homeland Security, Granville Nonviolent Action Team, NBAF
Matt Saldaña ·
3 Dec 2008, 4:21 PM ·
Comment
The Department of Homeland Security has recommended Manhattan, Kansas to be the future site of the National Bio and Agro- Defense Facility, according to a final Economic Impact Study dated “December 2008″ that was obtained and published Wednesday–two days ahead of its scheduled public release–in the Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury.
nbaf-final-environmental-impact-statement (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Meanwhile, AP also reported on the decision today, citing anonymous “congressional lawmakers and staff.”
The Mercury story, which included confirmation from the press secretary for Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), noted that the recommendation is far from binding:
The choice does not become final until 30 days following publication of the final environmental impact study Friday. And even then, the selection theoretically could face legal challenges, either from sites that were not selected or from groups who have gone on record as opposing construction of the lab anywhere.
Among the sites not recommended: North Carolina’s own Umstead Research Farm Site in Butner, N.C. The Indy has reported extensively on local opposition to the federal disease research lab, which led to a loss of public “education” funding for a P.R. campaign (initially reported on here), and a rejection by many local government officials.
In the final Economic Impact Study, DHS cited “community acceptance” as one reason for picking Manhattan.
“This really puts us on the map,” Lyle Butler, president of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Mercury.
If being “on the map” means being potentially exposed to some of the world’s most contagious and dangerous diseases, including several that are transmissible from animals to humans, then, for now, Butner is safely off of it.
North Carolina, media NBAF
Lisa Sorg ·
24 Nov 2008, 8:15 AM ·
Comment
Be thankful if the federal disease lab doesn’t come to Butner: The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is due shortly after Thanksgiving.
The Manhattan (Kans.) Mercury quoted DHS spokesman John Verrico as saying the document would be released in the first week of December.
The draft version was released last June, totaling more than 1,000 pages. It evaluated the suitability of the five proposed sites—Butner, N.C.; San Antonio, Texas; Manhattan, Kans.; Flora, Miss.; and Athens, Ga.—plus the existing Plum Island Animal Research Center off the NY coast.
North Carolina, environment Butner, final environmental impact statement, Homeland Security, NBAF
Lisa Sorg ·
17 Nov 2008, 2:23 PM ·
1 Comment
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security may postpone deciding where to site the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, thus putting it in the hands of the Obama administration.
Butner is among the five finalists for the animal disease research center. San Antonio, Texas; Manhattan, Kans.; Athens, Ga.; and Flora, Miss. are the others.
The Hattiesburg American reports that a final environmental impact statement is due within the next few weeks. However, the final decision is not expected until after Jan. 20, 2009, when Obama takes office.
Although Butner initially scored the highest on Homeland Security’s site assessments, local citizens and most elected local, state and federal officials are strongly opposed to locating the NBAF in North Carolina.
North Carolina, environment Butner, Homeland Security, NBAF
Lisa Sorg ·
28 Oct 2008, 1:47 PM ·
2 Comments
The NC Department of Commerce did not account for as much as $181.6 million in taxpayer costs for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, opponents of the lab said today. The department had originally predicted a $1.6 billion benefit to the state from the lab.
The original calculations did not include several essential figures, including those from the Department of Homeland Security’s site cost analysis, which had been heavily redacted, said the Granville Non-Violent Action Team, which obtained additional details from N.C. Biotechnology Center documents (pdfs, Adobe Reader required):
inkindtable1
nc-in-kind-package-22908_costests1
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North Carolina, environment cost estimates, Department of Homeland Security, GNAT, N.C. Commerce Department, NBAF
Lisa Sorg ·
10 Oct 2008, 8:04 AM ·
1 Comment
Texas has raised the ante in the bidding war for the National Bio- and Agro Defense Facility, offering $100 million in incentives to entice the Department of Homeland Security to build the animal disease research lab there, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.
North Carolina, which is among the five finalists, did not make such an offer, largely due to eroding support for the project among citizens and elected leaders. A $25 million appropriation earmarked for the facility languished in the legislature and was not included in the governor’s budget.
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North Carolina, environment, national Butner, Homeland Security, NBAF, San Antonio
