Vilsack to cut ribbon on National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility May 24
| Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., announced today that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will cut the ribbon on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kan., on May 24.At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Moran thanked Vilsack for agreeing to be present that day to open the facility that has been under construction for years. At the hearing, Vilsack said he was sure that Moran and former Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who played a major role in locating the sensitive research facility in Kansas, will both have scissors to cut the ribbon as well.NBAF will replace the 68-year-old Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) off the coast of New York, where USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) currently conduct foreign animal disease research, training and diagnostics. ARS and APHIS will transfer their research and diagnostic missions from PIADC to NBAF and will operate the facility jointly. |
–The Hagstrom Report
