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"<p>Questions have been raised about the safety of Kansas State's  National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility with top safety experts telling citizens  there is nothing to worry about.<br /><br />The National Bio and Agro-Defense  Facility, located in Manhattan, Kan., is meant to replace the aging Plum Island,  N.Y., lab, and will deal specifically with only diseases that relate to  agriculture. Foot-and-mouth disease will be the primary target of the facility.  Currently, there are no vaccines to handle the seven variations and numerous  sub-strains of the disease.<br /><br />Citizens of Manhattan, Kan., have raised  concerns that the disease could accidentally leak out or be the target of a  bioterrorist attack, with foot-and-mouth released to cattle in the surrounding  area and beyond.<br /><br />A foot-and-mouth outbreak is estimated to potentially  have a $200 billion impact on the United States' economy. The last outbreak  occurred in the United Sates in 1929.<br /><br />To alleviate fears, the Department  of Homeland Security was required by Congress to conduct a risk assessment  before the project is given final approval.<br /><br />To that end, an independent  group has been contracted by DHS to provide an assessment and already begun  working. The assessment is expected to last until late summer, approximately  when work is set to begin on the $450 million, 520,000-square-foot facility. The  construction isn't expected to be finished until  2015.<br /></p>"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://bioprepwatch.com/stories/510506294-study-to-be-conducted-on-safety-of-proposed-ksu-agro-defense-facility>