Sebelius praises work of bio-defense facility task force
NBAF Task Force met to brief members on current progress and future activities

Local, state and national leaders convened in Topeka on Thursday for the inaugural meeting of the Kansas National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) Task Force.

The group is responsible for implementing the state’s strategic plan to attract the facility to Kansas and during its first meeting it developed a site visit and advocacy strategy as well as a Washington, D.C. outreach effort.

Following the meeting, Governor Kathleen Sebelius praised the group’s efforts, calling it a great example of the cooperative spirit for which Kansans are known.

“Kansas is united in its desire to bring this critical national facility to our state, which is why we’ve been able to put together such an impressive group of individuals to support the bids from Leavenworth and Manhattan,” said Sebelius.

During the meeting, Co-chairman Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson presented a strategy which highlighted the concentration of related businesses that offers complimentary resources and unique facilities about to come online at the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University.

“The collaborative statewide approach is a major advantage of the Kansas proposals as is the broad public support for this effort in Kansas,” said Parkinson.  “I have been completely impressed with the strong private and public partnerships on the local, state and national levels.”

Additionally, the Heartland BioAgro Consortium has officially launched an NBAF Website, www.nbafinkansas.org.

“This site serves as a resource for people to learn more about the measures taken to ensure the safety and security of the facility, the benefits this federal investment will bring to the region, and why Kansas is so well-positioned to host it,” said Tom Thornton, president and chief executive officer of Kansas Bioscience Authority.

Parkinson, with Honorary Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts and Co-chairman former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, along with vice-chairs Rep. Nancy Boyda, former Governor John Carlin, Dave Franz and Joerg Ohle have been appointed to lead the effort to bring the planned research laboratory to Kansas.

A total of 18 sites in 11 states are under consideration, meaning the task force must show why Kansas has the necessary infrastructure, assets and workforce to host the facility.  The laboratory is projected to have an economic impact of more than $3.5 billion over its first 20 years of operation. Construction alone is projected to employ 1,000 workers.

The planned facility is a $451 million, state-of-the-art national laboratory being commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security to research and develop diagnostic capabilities for diseases that can affect public health, animal health or the food supply.

For a full list of NBAF Task Force members, please visit www.nbafinkansas.org

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