Cochran submits Letter to the Editor welcoming NBAF
Clarion-Ledger: Letter to the Editor
Visit signals that Miss. now poised to welcome NBAF
Today, Mississippi finds itself inching closer to the opportunity of a generation. Department of Homeland Security officials will visit Flora this afternoon to solicit input from Mississippians regarding the proposed National Bio and Agro Defense Facility. Scientists at this state-of-the-art facility will study how to protect our nation’s livestock against an accidental or terror-related release of animal diseases.
Two years ago, 29 sites from around the country submitted proposals to the department in hopes of landing this critical facility in their communities. Six finalists remain in contention, and I am proud that Mississippi is one of them. Our citizens, governor, universities, local officials, and congressional delegation should be commended for their cooperation in this effort.
The construction and operation of the $500 million NBAF would create hundreds of skilled jobs and would likely spur a biotechnology boom in Mississippi. Developers have said its impact would approach or exceed that of the Stennis Space Center, Canton’s Nissan plant, or Blue Springs’s Toyota plant.
While the economic benefits of NBAF are clear, I believe Mississippi is poised and eager to play a greater role in protecting our nation against terrorism.
In my capacity on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Agriculture Committee, I have grown to understand the extent of our nation’s vulnerability to animal disease. Experts estimate that a calculated terrorist plot against our livestock could significantly disrupt our food supply and cost up to $50 billion in economic loss and taxpayer dollars.
Mississippi is the ideal location for this facility based on the strength of our experience, our workforce, and the team we’ve put together. Seven of Mississippi’s universities are part of the group effort to bring NBAF to Madison County. Our group operates more than a dozen of the most sophisticated laboratories in the nation.
Recognizing our unique strengths, three world-class partners have agreed to be part of Mississippi’s team: Battelle, the world’s largest not-for-profit lab operator; Tulane and Iowa State universities - both renowned leaders in animal research.
In June, the department published an analysis of the six finalists. Mississippi outranked its competitors both in terms of environmental impact and cost of construction and maintenance. Today’s meeting represents the final time Mississippians will be able to publicly state to the department their support for NBAF.
I am confident Homeland Security officials will leave Mississippi with a positive impression. Today we have an opportunity to let them know of Mississippi’s hospitality, its quality of life, and the work ethic of its citizens. We have a tremendous story to tell. Soon, Mississippi will hopefully be more than just a place the department visits; rather, one it calls home.
Sen. Thad Cochran
U.S. Senate, Mississippi
Washington, D.C.
Tags: animal diseases, clarion ledger, department of homeland security, flora, letter to the editor, MS, national bio and agro defense facility, NBAF
