Oklahoma Vies For Deadly Disease Research Lab

Monday, May 7th 2007, 9:58 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Oklahoma is one of a dozen states competing to be the home for a government research lab full of killer germs like anthrax, avian flu or foot-and-mouth disease. The proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Lab will cost at least $450 million to build and will replace an aging and smaller lab at Plum Island, New York. The lab conducts research on diseases and germs to protect agriculture and livestock from foreign diseases.

The facility will be part of the Department of Homeland Security and will include at least 300 lab-related jobs in addition to construction-related jobs.

The states bidding for the lab include Oklahoma, Texas, California, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The winning site is to be announced in October 2008 and the lab is to begin operating in 2014.