DHS' short list

WASHINGTON — Five sites are under consideration for the relocation of the famed Plum Island Animal Disease Center, according to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) directorate.

The prize is the agency's $451-million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), a Bio Safety Level 4 facility. The short list of sites under consideration include:

• Flora Industrial Park, Madison County, Miss.

• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.

• Texas Research Park, San Antonio

• Umstead Research Farm, Granville County, N.C.

• University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

"The NBAF, when built, will enhance our nation's defense against animal and plant disease threats," says Jay Cohen, Under Secretary of S&T. "The hard work that each consortium put in throughout this rigorous and competitive process is very admirable."

Final selection is expected in early 2009.