Congressman Thompson Pleased WIth DHS Progress On NBAF

Statement

CONGRESSMAN THOMPSON PLEASED WITH DHS PROGRESS ON NBAF

Today, United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) released the following statement:

"I am pleased to announce that the Madison County, Mississippi - Gulf State Bio proposal has advanced to the next phase in the competitive process to select the location of the proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF).

"This is significant for the 2nd Congressional District and the State of Mississippi. The diverse array of community and university involvement, without question, strengthens the Mississippi proposal. The inclusion of the Mississippi proposal in this down-select is a testament to the strides made in bringing Mississippi communities and universities together for a common purpose."

Currently, the Department of Homeland Security is leading the process to identify a next-generation biological and agricultural defense facility designed to protect U.S. agriculture from a bioterrorist attack involving the intentional introduction of foreign animal diseases.

NBAF will support the complementary missions of the Department of Homeland Security, the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The proposed 520,000 square-foot facility will provide animal testing capability needed for the licensure of the human disease vaccines, defend against high-consequence human and foreign animal diseases in livestock, and provide the essential DHS infrastructure requirements for threat characterization, forensics and detection.

Generally there will be between 250 and 350 persons employed at the facility. This number includes researchers, technical support and operations specialists.

Source