Foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever, African swine fever and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
Although these may sound threatening, the Department of Homeland security aims to make the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility a center where each of these is less of a threat to society — and possibly even nonexistent in the near future — according to its Web site.
The department is studying a proposal to replace the Plum Island, Mass., location of the NBAF with one in Butner, N.C.
Spawning off of Homeland Security, the NBAF hopes to study contained forms of these diseases in the Research Triangle area due to its vast amount of scientific areas and numerous research facilities, Interim Department Head of Microbiology Eric Miller said.
“It’s pretty obvious as to why [the NBAF] would be placed in the Research Triangle Area,” Miller said. “We have all of the expertise they would need and [the facility] could benefit from all of our resources, in all aspects.”
Some students like Seth Lougee, a freshman in First Year College, said he thinks locating the facility in North Carolina is a great idea.
“I feel like there will be no danger as long as those who are constructing it follow the guidelines,” Lougee said. “We definitely need to put it here because it’s one of the nation’s best science centers.”
Other students have expressed differing views.
“Why would they choose to put it here over anywhere else in the nation?” Nicole Moering, freshman in communication, said. “There are other places that have the same amounts of research areas.”
According to Miller, the building of the NBAF causes frequent questions to arise regarding the well-being of students and others alike around the area.
“People hear about this facility and refer it back to microbiology in a bad way,” Miller said. “They deal with contagious organisms in a confined area, but we at NCSU do not. They immediately hear the word contagious and become worried.”
Moering said another issue with the center is the possible detriments to the livestock at NCSU.
“I feel that it is a definite threat because we have various animal units because of our agricultural center,” Moering said. “Even the Vet school could be affected, and that is where other people bring their animals, which means we will be putting them in danger.”
The future of what surrounds the facility, Moering said, is an important aspect that needs to be addressed.
“As long as they make all of the information accessible to everyone from the other locations, then why does it have to be here?” Moering said. “NCSU and UNC both are very large campuses, and having something that close can be entirely too dangerous.”
But Lougee, like Miller, said he thought all arguments would be taken into consideration before a final decision is made.
“It should definitely be built for it will help the entire nation in case of a bio-attack,” Lougee said. “I feel like [the Department of Homeland Security] knows what [it’s] doing, and as long as the restrictions are tight and nothing is dispersed, it will be highly beneficial.”
According to Miller, meetings and debriefings will continue as numerous deans and executives from colleges around the area discuss this case in its entirety.
