DHS Plans to Replace Plum Island Animal Disease Center

August 26, 2005 — 

According to a Fact Sheet from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dated August 22, 2005, the agency has begun the process of designing a replacement facility for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC). The current facility, located on an 840 acre island 1.5 miles off the tip of Long Island, NY, has contributed to animal disease research since 1951. The facilities were transferred to USDA from the US Army Chemical Corps in the mid-1950's to research Foot-and-Mouth Disease following outbreaks in both Mexico and Canada. Ownership of the facility was transferred to DHS as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The new facility's location has not been determined.

The PIADC has served as the nation's designated facility for research, training and diagnosis of foreign animal diseases. According to DHS, the facility is nearing the end of its functional life and the department's mission requires replacing it with a new facility. Homeland Security Presidential Directive #9 (HSPD-9) states that USDA and DHS "will develop a plan to provide safe, secure and state-of-the-art agriculture biocontainment laboratories that research and develop diagnostic capabilities for foreign animal and zoonotic diseases." The President's FY06 budget requests $23 million for a needs assessment and design process to develop a new National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF). DHS is currently working with the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to evaluate the future needs for this new facility. DHS indicates this planning process will include key stakeholders such as "professional societies and industry groups."

According to the Fact Sheet, DHS will explore the following 3 options when designing the new facility:

• Keep the scope the same as the current PIADC mission, but build the facilities required to meet the needs of the first half of the 21st century;
• Expand the scope to include additional agriculture biocontainment laboratories at biosafety level 3 agriculture, and possibly biosafety level 4 for foreign animal and zoonotic diseases as called for in HSPD-9; or
• Add expanded test and evaluation facilities to support non-clinical testing under the Animal Rule needed to support advanced development of security medical countermeasures by DHHS.

Source: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=43&content=4752&print=true

[Ed. Note: Having visited PIADC on a number of occasions, I can say that the need for a new facility is overdue. US agriculture owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women who have endured the challenges of working at this facility including often stomach-churning boat rides, overcrowded working conditions, and research spaces with leaking roofs and aging equipment. The dedication of the scientists and employees has resulted in world-class research, training, diagnostics, treatments and preventatives under less than optimal conditions. I urge the veterinary community and animal agriculture to insert themselves into DHS's planning process and needs assessment to ensure the new facility provides the tools necessary to meet the challenge of protecting US livestock in the 21st century. It is also vital that we support the funding necessary to bring this facility to fruition. This new facility, in combination with the on-going modernization of the National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, IA, will provide US agriculture with the state-of-the-art world class facility it needs.]