Manhattan's $1.25 Billion Animal Disease Research Facility Not Fully Operational, Report Finds
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, a $1.25 billion research center designed for high-level animal disease science, is not fully operational, according to a July report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report states that the facility was not appropriately configured by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before its transfer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in February 2024. The USDA accepted the facility without a complete commissioning report, leading to an additional $75.8 million in costs for the USDA to address unaddressed issues. The OIG report identified several deficiencies, including air supply continuity problems, issues with sealing rooms, and a lack of gates to prevent animal movement. While NBAF is operating its Biosafety Level (BSL)-1 and BSL-2 labs, the critical BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs, designed for handling the most dangerous animal diseases, are not yet operational. The USDA anticipates the BSL-3 lab will be operational ...