Updated:
Tuesday December 30, 2008
A final recommendation on siting of the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility is likely within two weeks, a top project aide said Thursday.
John Verrico, the press officer for the science and technology directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, described publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, the document that will contain the study team's site recommendation, as "close, very close." That document will identify the directorate's choice for the NBAF from among six sites, including Manhattan, that have been under study for two years.
At the same time, Verrico suggested such an announcement would not be forthcoming in the next few days, indicating that time had to be allowed for printing of the final document along with briefings for key members of Congress.
Verrico said a likely release date was some time during "the first week of December."
The site near the Biosecurity Research Institute on Denison Avenue is one of six formally under consideration by DHS to host the $451 million level 4 research facility, which would study the control of viruses capable of spreading from the animal to human populations. Whichever site is recommended would have to be formally ratified by DHS Undersecretary Jay Cohen, who by law cannot issue his decision until 30 days have elapsed from publication of the final EIS. DHS officials have consistently said they expect Cohen to ratify whatever decision is recommended in the final EIS.
In addition to Manhattan, the six sites under consideration are San Antonio; Flora, Miss.; Athens, Ga.; Butner, N.C.; and Plum Island, N.Y. Of those, Manhattan, San Antonio and Flora are generally considered to be the front-runners, with Athens an outside possibility and Butner and Plum Island viewed as unlikely.
DHS officials originally expected the final EIS to be released in October, and subsequently pushed that back to November. The early December date represents another rollback, but probably a final one because of the 30-day federally mandated wait period, which leaves little maneuvering room for the outgoing Bush administration.
"The secretary really wants to make this decision," Verrico said, referring to Cohen.
The swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama Jan. 20 establishes Dec. 21 as the absolute latest possible release date for the final EIS if Cohen is to make the formal selection.
A team led by science and technology director James Johnson visited all six sites this summer to receive public feedback regarding each of the potential locations, and has been working through the estimated 2,000 comment documents it received over the intervening months. Beyond recommending a site, the final EIS is also expected to provide interesting reading, because it will contain those public comments, both pro and con.
The tone of discussion in the six communities varied greatly, with San Antonio and Flora the most receptive and Butner the most hostile. There was both strong support and strong opposition expressed in Athens, while in Manhattan the level of support clearly outweighed the level of opposition, although the latter intensified in the weeks following the hearing. Plum Island, where community feeling was also predominantly negative, is considered a long shot in part due to the expense of constructing the facility in such a remote location.
The NBAF is designed to replace an aging level 3 research facility at Plum Island, a strip of land about four miles off the eastern shore of Long Island.
Although Verrico indicated he did not expect a formal announcement next week, other sources involved in the process have suggested the decision could leak out once members of Congress are briefed on it. Their sense was that Cohen and DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff received the study group's recommendation earlier this week, and that congressional briefings could begin as soon as the final report is returned from the printer.