Washington, DC - Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI), chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, today released a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the proposed relocation of animal disease research from Plum Island, New York to a new National Bio Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas.

The GAO report listed several flaws in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) study that found research on foot-and-mouth disease and other foreign animal diseases can be conducted safely on the mainland.  The GAO report is critical of DHS’ use of the Gaussian plume model which is typically used to model radiation leaks.  “Scientists in Denmark have established an outbreak modeling system specific to foot-and-mouth disease, but DHS chose instead to uses a radiation modeling system rather than one specific to foot-and-mouth disease,” Stupak said.  “Why not use the model specific to the disease you are studying?”

The GAO also found that DHS used flawed data to assess the impact of a potential foot-and-mouth disease release.  DHS did not utilize accurate local weather data for their modeling, using only average weather scenarios and failing to incorporate extreme weather situations into the study.

“GAO’s findings confirm the concerns our Subcommittee raised last year,” Stupak said.  “It seems clear that the Department of Homeland Security gave inadequate consideration to the risks of transferring foot-and-mouth and other highly-contagious diseases to the mainland.  Moving contagious animal research to the heart of America’s livestock industry remains a foolish tempting of fate.  While health hazard to humans is low, the effect of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on the mainland would lead to the devastation of our livestock industry putting the livelihoods of ranchers across the country at risk.”

“Foot and mouth is a highly contagious virus,” Dingell said.  “An outbreak could reap havoc on our livestock industry, costing billions of dollars in damages.  Given this, it is puzzling that DHS wants to transfer the virus from the relative isolation of Plum Island into the heart of cattle country. During our first two hearings on this matter, we learned of the unique specifications for foot and mouth research.  Thus, it was even more mysterious that DHS did not bother to properly and fully examine the dangers of moving the research to the proposed National Bio and Agro Defense Facility.”

Stupak and Dingell raised concerns regarding the relocation of animal disease research from the isolation of Plum Island to the United States mainland during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in May 2008.  In light of the GAO’s conclusion that the DHS study used to support the relocation animal disease research to the mainland is flawed, Stupak and Dingell are calling for an independent study to evaluate the risks of researching this potentially devastating disease on the mainland.

“Using average weather patterns to determine the impact of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is like building a levy based on average water levels rather than taking into consideration historic flood levels or hurricanes – it puts our communities at risk,” Stupak said.  “I support much of the work that will be done in the NBAF facility, but foot-and-mouth research should remain on Plum Island and not be moved to the mainland.”

“Unfortunately, a pattern is emerging,” Dingell continued.  “The new GAO report concludes that the evidence DHS used in its environmental impact statement (EIS) had severe limitations. After two hearings and three years, we still don’t know if it is safe to conduct foot and mouth disease research on the mainland.  I hope to examine this and other questions when the Subcommittee reschedules this vital hearing.  I commend Chairman Stupak for his continued oversight and eagerly await the opportunity to hear from our witnesses.”

A hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations scheduled for Thursday to hear from GAO and DHS on the report’s findings was canceled due to continued consideration of health care reform legislation.

For more information on the GAO Report visit, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09747.pdf

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