ITHACA, N.Y. -- Alfonso Torres, director of the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and associate dean for veterinary public policy at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, testified July 17 before the U.S. Senate's Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which is conducting hearings to examine proposals for creation of a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). His comments focused on the proposed transfer of all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) activities and the Plum Island (N.Y.) Animal Disease Center to DHS. Torres, who came to Cornell in February 2002, previously was deputy administrator for veterinary services at APHIS, and from 1991-1996 served as director of the animal disease center at Plum Island, where he also was chief of foreign animal disease diagnostic laboratory (1995-96) and head of diagnostic services (1991-95). Below are excerpts from his prepared testimony. The full text of his remarks are available at http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/July02/TorresComments.dhs.html .

"In general I support the President's proposal for the creation of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase our border security and be better prepared and coordinated in dealing with potential bioterrorist and agroterrorists attacks. ...

"The President's proposal to include all APHIS in the new DHS reflects the recognition and general understanding of the importance of APHIS activities in safeguarding animal and plant health for more than 150 years. APHIS' contributions to the well-being of society have been well demonstrated in its success in keeping serious animal diseases and plant pests from entering our country. However, it is important to keep in mind that APHIS has many functions that are not totally related to the exclusion of animal diseases and plant pests from entering our country. Three out of five APHIS main programs do not have functions that are directly associated to the proposed mission of the new [DHS]: International Services, Wildlife Services, and Animal Care. The other two, Veterinary Services (VS) and Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) have some activities compatible with the new Department. These activities are related to the actual inspections at ports of entry and the issuing of import permits for agricultural commodities and for restricted animal or plant pathogens. There are some activities of Veterinary Services related to response to natural disasters or disease emergencies when animals are involved, that would fit within the activities assigned to the Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response of the proposed Department. ...

"Based on my experiences at USDA and my knowledge of APHIS and ARS missions and activities, I respectfully suggest that you consider the following suggestions ...

"APHIS, [Plant Protection and Quarantine] Port Activities: All agricultural port inspection could be transferred to the Border and Transportation Security Division of the DHS. Their duties are quite integrated to the Customs Service of DOJ, and they are already co-located at sea, land and air ports of entry. In compensation for the loss of PPQ personnel currently located at ports of entry that would be available for combating plant disease outbreaks, APHIS should receive funding (or retain funding not transferred to DHS) for hiring of plant health professionals to be distributed in all 50 states to conduct the necessary surveillance and diagnostic activities for plant health in the United States.

"APHIS, [Veterinary Services] and PPQ Import-Export Permitting Activities: Activities related to the issuing of import permits for plant and animal agricultural commodities could be integrated to the Customs Service, as part of their import permitting activities.

"APHIS, VS Emergency Management Liaison with FEMA: As identified by APHIS in previous budget requests, there is a need to have emergency management veterinarians co-located with FEMA to coordinate their assistance in disasters of any origin where animals are involved. These nine or ten positions (one or two veterinarians at headquarters plus one veterinarian for each of the eight FEMA regional offices) could be created as part of enhanced activities of FEMA under the new DHS.

"APHIS, Animal and Plant Health Laboratories & Science Centers: All APHIS Veterinary Services laboratories and science centers involved in animal health ... should be kept under the current administrative arrangements within USDA. The same recommendation applies to APHIS, PPQ plant health laboratories in several locations in the United States ...

"APHIS and ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC): ... It is important to point out that the PIADC was created at Plum Island, N.Y., in 1954 as the only laboratory in the U.S. where foot and mouth disease (FMD) and other highly contagious diseases could be studied. ... the PIADC has two components from two different USDA agencies: ARS and APHIS. The ARS conducts research restricted to an island setting on selected foreign animal diseases. APHIS conducts diagnostic on highly contagious diseases of livestock at Plum Island, conducts training of veterinarians from the U.S. and abroad, in the recognition and diagnosis of most foreign animal diseases. This is an activity outside the main scope of the proposed DHS. ... it is also important to point out that the federal laboratories dealing with human diseases and organisms that could be used for bioterrorism are not proposed to be transferred to the DHS. ... In the case of CDC and NIH laboratories, the President's proposal would keep them under their current Department but would provide additional funding and programs for assisting the new [DHS] with laboratory support in the areas of diagnosis and research to enhance the capabilities of the U.S. in deterring, preventing and responding to bioterrorist attacks. Exactly the same arguments could be made regarding the USDA's laboratory facilities and programs at Ames, Iowa, and at Plum Island, N.Y. There is no difference in mission and activities between the NIH/CDC laboratories for human health and the NVSL/CVB and Plum Island Animal Disease Center laboratories of APHIS for animal health. They both provide the scientific basis for surveillance, early detection and responses for either human or animal diseases. In addition, thanks to the leadership of Secretary [of Agriculture Ann] Veneman, we are in the process of developing a national network of animal and plant diagnostic laboratories that will provide needed redundancy and increased capacity in the U.S. in dealing with large outbreaks of animal or plant diseases regardless of their origin. Thus the integration of the diagnostic laboratories from the State Departments of Agriculture with USDA will more than justify keeping the critical animal and plant federal laboratories under the USDA."

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