Regulations and Standards,Facility Security,Regulations

Home

Regulation Update -Sept 2007

By Article Posted: September 01, 2007
Printer Friendly Forward to a Friend Share this

NATIONAL BIO-AND AGRO-DEFENSE FACILITY WILL REPLACE PLUM ISLAND ANIMAL DISEASE CENTER
On June 6, 2007, the Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology approved by voice vote for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 1717 to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility.1 This bill would create a National Bio- and Agro-Defense facility to study diseases caused by farm animals, including livestock and poultry. It would replace the over 50 year old research facility at Plum Island Animal Disease Center, off the tip of Long Island, New York. Eighteen sites have been selected from an original group of 29 proposed locations for the NBAF. After site visits to these potential NBAF sites, a few were to be selected for which an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was to be prepared by June 2007. Completion of the EIS for the final NBAF site is scheduled for October 2008.

The planned National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) will meet the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD-9).2 It will be an integrated facility in which diseases categorized as foreign animal diseases and those affecting both man and animals (zoonotic diseases) will be studied.
Specifically, NBAF will:3

  • “integrate those aspects of public and animal health research that have been determined to be central to national security;
  • “assess and research evolving bioterrorism threats over the next five decades; and
  • “enable the Departments of Homeland Security, Agriculture (USDA), and Health and Human Services (HHS) to fulfill their related homeland defense research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) responsibilities.”

Introduced 3/27/2007

SUMMARYAS OF H.R.1717

A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility

Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility, which shall: (1) be an integrated human, foreign-animal, and zoonotic disease research, development, testing, and evaluation facility supporting the defense against the threat of agroterrorism and certain naturally-occurring incidents related to agriculture; and (2) produce and share knowledge and technology for the purpose of reducing economic losses caused by diseases of livestock and poultry and preventing human suffering and death caused by diseases in the agricultural sector.

Includes among the Facility Director's responsibilities: (1) directing research, development, testing, and evaluation relating to such diseases; (2) developing an emergency response plan; (3) providing training in biological and agricultural research facility operations; and (4) forming cooperative relationships with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians to connect with the network of federal and state resources to enable an integrated, rapid, and sufficient response to animal health emergencies.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that the Facility consists of state-of-the-art biocontainment laboratories capable of performing research and activities at Biosafety Levels 3 and 4; (2) enable the study of live virus of foot and mouth disease at the Facility; and (3) enter into agreements with the heads of appropriate federal departments to define their roles and responsibilities in carrying out animal disease research and development at the Facility to protect public health and animal health.
Related Topics: Regulation Update Regulations and Standards September 2007 ALN Facility Security Regulations
Related Articles