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Kansas gears up effort to win bio lab By Jason Gertzen “…We can make a very strong case that we are the best possible location.” Kansas officials aim to blend scientific strengths with political savvy after the state emerged Wednesday as a finalist for a $450 million federal biodefense laboratory. U.S. Department of Homeland Security leaders included a proposed location on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan among spots in five states that now will undergo an intensive review. Officials plan to name a winner by the fall of 2008 for a substantial lab complex that will employ hundreds of scientists and bring a boost to the bioscience prestige and economy of the successful region. Kansas is vying with Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Mississippi for the 500,000-square-foot facility that is to develop new measures for detecting and countering foot and mouth disease, various strains of swine fever and other pathogens with the potential to devastate the nation’s food supply. Another Kansas site in Leavenworth County and one in Missouri near Columbia were trimmed from 17 locations across the country under consideration for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Federal officials intend to move the scientific work from an animal disease lab at Plum Island, N.Y., that is viewed as inadequate because of its aging facilities. U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, viewed Wednesday’s much-anticipated announcement as a big win for his state and said he was optimistic about its prospects. “There is still much work to be done, but our state can be proud that we are considered one of the premier centers of biological and agricultural research, businesses and education,” Roberts said. “The merits are on our side.” Kansas has mustered a determined effort, including the formation of a task force and the commitment of at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Washington, D.C., lobbying campaign intended to make the case that this region offers an optimum location. Highlights of the pitch include an existing $54 million Biosecurity Research Institute and a corps of top scientists at Kansas State, a heavy concentration of animal health companies in the region and the presence of one of the largest livestock industries in the country. Homeland security officials have vowed that the rigorous selection process is buffered from political influence. Kansas officials are confident that the core strengths of each contender will guide the selection, but they also understand that such a high-profile project is likely to move through at least some political layers as it winds through the federal bureaucracy. “I have been assured from the outset that this is a process that looks at assets and the opportunity to locate a facility that can do the best possible job,” said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. “If objective criteria maintain a front-and-center position, we can make a very strong case that we are the best possible location.” Substantial local investments are a key item considered by federal officials. The $580 million life-sciences economic development initiative overseen by the Kansas Bioscience Authority is positioned as a prime supporter for the project in the state, Sebelius said. Kansas officials declined to say how many millions of dollars were pledged to their proposal. Georgia, for example, is offering incentives valued at nearly $150 million. The investments in effort and state dollars are worth the price considering the potential return, Sebelius said. “It would be good for our economy in terms of jobs and high-level scientific research,” she said. “It would help us to position other bioscience efforts around the state” and throughout a region stretching from Manhattan to Columbia. U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, a Kansas Democrat, said that Kansas offered a natural fit for the project and that she too was confident that politics would not be the dominant factor in the decision. “This is of such high strategic and critical importance to our country,” Boyda said. “Everybody understands it has to be based on merit.” While other states might boast of scientific prowess, few, if any, can match the depth of expertise in Kansas devoted to food safety and security research, said Jon Wefald, president of Kansas State University. The existing biosecurity research lab in Manhattan could be an important source of collaboration for the federal complex, Wefald said. And it shows that Kansas can gain public support for a high-security facility working in this field, a factor receiving scrutiny by federal officials. “Some sites didn’t get in the running because a lot of people said, ‘Don’t ” Wefald said. “We have gone through this process. We build it here,’ demonstrated that we gained public acceptance.” The Kansas Livestock Association supports the project because keeping the food and animal supply safe is a national priority, said Scarlett Hagins, a spokeswoman. Kansas is one of the top livestock-producing states, so industry leaders will remain involved to ensure that there is no danger any of the pathogens being researched could be released in an accident. “We would want to make sure safety is the No. 1 protocol,” Hagins said. “Our members would want to be reassured that their cattle supply would be safe and everything would be contained.” Maintaining support from industry groups and community residents and continuing to seek public input on the project will be critical as federal officials conduct their review over the next year and a half, said Tom Thornton, president and chief executive of the state’s bioscience authority and a key leader guiding Kansas’ pursuit of the project. “We have shown we can play in a national arena in a sector where we have strengths,” Thornton said. Reaction from Missouri officials Wednesday did not match the exuberance of their Kansas counterparts. “We’re disappointed that we are no longer being considered for the facility,” Jim Coleman, vice chancellor for research at the University of Missouri-Columbia , said in a statement. “It is vital for us, as the major, public research university for the state, to seek these kinds of opportunities.” To reach Jason Gertzen, call 816-234-4899 or send e-mail to jgertzen@kcstar.com |
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