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Kansas Bioscience Authority applauds Congressional
Funding of NBAF Facility:
By John Carlin
Chairman, Kansas Bioscience Authority
OLATHE, Kan. — Assuring a safe and secure food supply remains a national priority, according
to an omnibus appropriations bill passed by the US Congress today.
The FY 2011 appropriations bill contains $40 million to fund the next phase of the construction
of the $650 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS.
This is great news for Kansas, Manhattan and Kansas State University. Beyond its immediate
scope and mission to protect our nation’s food supply, the NBAF will be a major economic driver
for this region and the State of Kansas. Starting with the construction of the $650 million facility
and continuing with the ongoing employment of a highly educated workforce, the NBAF’s
economic impact on Kansas will be significant, estimated at up to $3.5 billion in the first 20 years
of the facility’s use. Additionally, the NBAF will serve as a magnet for private industry. It will
attract new jobs as private biotechnology companies, professionals, and support infrastructure
aligns to capitalize on the concentration of animal health and plant science assets in the state.
The NBAF will be a highly secure biosecurity level 3 and 4 facility on the Kansas State University
campus where top government scientists and researchers will study of foreign animal, emerging
and zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten the U.S. animal
agriculture and public health. NBAF will provide and strengthen our nation with critical
capabilities to conduct research, develop vaccines and other countermeasures, and train
veterinarians in preparedness and response against these diseases.
The NBAF will replace an antiquated facility in New York and serve as the nation’s premier
research center for combating agriculture’s vulnerability to naturally occurring diseases or agroterrorism.
Several reports, including the Congressional report, The Clock is Ticking, conclude that the most
imminent threat to our nation’s homeland security is a biological attack. The NBAF is a critical
federal investment to protect agriculture and we applaud the President for advancing the NBAF.
Now that funding for the central utility plant is approved, we will work closely with the Kansas
delegation and others in Congress to secure approval of the $150 million proposed for the
project in President Obama’s FY 2012 budget.
We understand the difficult economic climate our nation faces today. That’s why we appreciate
even more the resolve and commitment of the Department of Homeland Security to fund the
NBAF. There is no question that a safe and secure food supply for every American is a national