WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback yesterday joined state and local officials at a press event at Kansas State University to applaud the Department of Homeland Security's recommendation to locate the new National Bio and Agro Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.

"Kansas clearly has the expertise and assets to conduct valuable research at a new NBAF site," said Brownback. "I plan to continue working with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to ensure appropriate funding for this project because the NBAF mission is critically important. Over the past few years, I have worked to ensure NBAF came to Kansas. This is a great win for Kansas."

In June of this year, Brownback met with Admiral Jay Cohen, Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, and head of the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility selection committee. During that meeting, Brownback encouraged Cohen to name Manhattan as the site for the new NBAF.

Manhattan was selected as DHS's preferred site in the Department of Homeland Security's Final Environmental Impact Statement. A final decision will be announced thirty days after the publication of the Environmental Impact Statement. It is estimated that over a twenty year period, NBAF will a significant impact on the Kansas economy. The proposed site will be a $451 million, 500,000 square foot building and will create as many as 500 high-paying, scientific federal jobs in Kansas and will bring additional jobs in research partnerships to the state.

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