Lt. Governor Parkinson commends community for its support in
trying to bring Bio-Defense Facility to Kansas
Leavenworth, Manhattan, on short list for national security project

Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson have taken the lead in engaging some of the State’s most prominent leaders in the private and public sectors to make Kansas the “heartland home” for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF).

Lt. Governor Parkinson traveled to Leavenworth today, personally thanking civic and business leaders for their strong support of the initiative. NBAF is a $451 million, biological and agricultural terrorism defense lab that is being commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security. Kansas is one of 14 states contending for the project, with proposed sites in both Leavenworth and Manhattan.

“The support from Leavenworth and Manhattan citizens is critically important to this project. The Governor and I commend these communities for their vision and leadership,” said Parkinson. “This state is truly unique in that every facet of Kansas is on board – from local communities, civic leaders, state and federal officials, academic centers, research institutes, private businesses, animal health experts and agricultural organizations. The unified grassroots effort is amazing.”

Governor Sebelius recently signed an executive order to form the Kansas NBAF Task Force, comprising public and private citizens from government, animal nutrition, medical research, private business, agriculture, and academia. Sebelius named Senator Pat Roberts as honorary chair, Dan Glickman and Lt. Governor Parkinson as co-chairs, John Carlin, Dave Franz and Jörg Ohle from Bayer Animal Health as vice chairs. The Lt. Governor will work with the Leavenworth and Manhattan communities to address public questions, continue to build support for the project, and lead the Task Force in implementing an advocacy strategy for officials in Washington, D.C., where the site decision will be made.

“The Task Force is all about the people. Because it represents a cross-section of elected officials and business leaders from industry and academic segments, the Task Force is truly a bi-partisan, credible expression of support for the project. To date, Kansas is the only NBAF contender that has formed such a statewide task force, a point that will not be lost on the Department of Homeland Security when it considers public support for this national investment,” said Parkinson.

Lt. Governor Parkinson commended Kansas Senator Roberts for traveling to Topeka earlier today to lend his support for the NBAF-Kansas project before a joint session of the Legislature. “Senator Roberts has provided the Governor and this State with tremendous support on the Federal level,” said Parkinson. “We look forward to working with him and the rest of the Task Force to advocate for this critical national investment.”

Lt. Governor Parkinson told Leavenworth officials that the Task Force will convene on February 16th, following initial community meetings and submission of the final NBAF proposals to the DHS. During the first Task Force meeting, the Lt. Governor will present a progress report and unveil a broader advocacy strategy. He will also lead a delegation of the Task Force to brief Congressional leaders in mid-March.

“We have a lot of work to do, but as Governor Sebelius has said, this is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity to drive economic growth in a State that has access to unbelievable resources. Kansas has a deep respect for agriculture and an understanding that food safety is critical to the national interest,” said Parkinson. “We also know that by engaging local, private, state and national leaders, we can position Kansas to be among the finalists. With this kind of unified support, we truly have the resources and the knowledge to present a compelling case for building NBAF in Kansas.”

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