Washington, DC
June 19, 2009
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that
the USDA is distributing $176 million in Recovery Act funding to
upgrade laboratory buildings and support facilities at research
locations across the country. Not only will these projects
further important research being conducted at USDA laboratories
in 29 states, these funds will help revitalize local economies
by creating jobs and supporting local businesses that supply
needed construction products and services.
"President Obama is committed to ensuring that USDA stays on the
cutting edge of research in food safety, nutrition, producing
food and preserving the quality of our soil and water," Vilsack
said. "This funding will ensure that our labs can carry out the
critical research that enables the U.S. to have the safest,
least expensive food supply in the world."
The Recovery Act funds will improve the safety and health
aspects of the laboratories, enhance the energy efficiency, and
reduce the cost of operation and maintenance. These benefits
will improve the working environment, resulting in improved
productivity, and generate maintenance savings that will be
captured and returned to directly support the research program.
All of the projects selected are at locations conducting
research of the highest priority.
The Western Regional Research Center (WRRC) in Albany, Calif.,
which is receiving $28.4 million, focuses on creating crop
plants, food products, and food processing methods that are
healthier and safer for consumers and the environment. For
example, WRRC scientists discovered that microbes thought to
live only in animals can also exist on plants such as lettuce
and spinach, and the researchers are now working on ways to
prevent produce contamination. WRRC will use the Recovery Act
funds to make electrical and plumbing systems repairs, fire
detection and suppression system renovations, roofing systems
replacement, and other repairs that will keep the lab's research
moving forward.
The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
(NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill., which is receiving $40.1 million,
focuses on inventing new uses for agricultural crops and
developing new technology to improve environmental quality and
food safety. For example, NCAUR has developed a series of new
food products that expanded markets for U.S. cereal crops. One
of them, Calorie-Trim, is an all-natural, fat replacer. Derived
from whole oats and barley, C-Trim contains 20 to 50 percent
beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that helps the body regulate blood
sugar and lower bad cholesterol, diminishing the risk of heart
disease. NCAUR also developed a vegetable oil-based elevator
hydraulic fluid for elevators that is now being used in the
Statue of Liberty. This new biobased hydraulic fluid has high
fire resistance and could replace the conventional mineral
oil-based product, which has major flammability, is
environmental toxic, and has disposal problems. NCAUR will use
the funding announced today to address critical deferred
maintenance of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to
enable the lab to continue to develop new products.
Projects receiving funding:
- Tucson, Ariz., Carl Hayden
Bee Research Center: $455,000
- Albany, Calif., Western
Regional Research Center: $28.4 million
- Riverside, Calif., United
States Salinity Laboratory, National Clonal Germplasm
Repository for Citrus & Dates: $625,000
- Akron, Colo., Central
Great Plains Research Station: $550,000
- Ft. Collins, Colo.,
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation: $290,000
- Newark, Del., Beneficial
Insects Research Laboratory: $470,000
- Washington, D.C., U. S.
National Arboretum: $9 million
- Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ARS
Invasive Plant Research Laboratory: $475,000
- Athens, Ga., Southeast
Poultry Research Laboratory: $2.3 million
- Ames, Iowa, National
Animal Disease Center: $10.5 million
- Peoria, Ill., National
Center for Agricultural Utilization Research: $40.1 million
- Aberdeen, Idaho, Small
Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit: $40,000
- Kimberly, Idaho, Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory: $50,000
- West Lafayette, Ind.,
National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory: $775,000
- Manhattan, Kan., Grain
Marketing and Production Research Center: $440,000
- Boston, Mass., USDA Jean
Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging: $3 million
- Beltsville, Md., National
Agricultural Library: $7.4 million
- Beltsville, Md.,
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: $10 million
- East Lansing, Mich., ARS
Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory: $430,000
- St. Paul, Minn., Cereal
Disease Laboratory: $1.88 million
- Stoneville, Miss., Jamie
Whitten Delta States Research Center: $26 million
- Miss State, Miss., Poultry
Research Unit & Crop Science Research Laboratory: $1.8
million
- Miles City, Mont., Fort
Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory: $4 million
- Clay Center, Neb., Roman
L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: $1.3 million
- Geneva, N.Y., Plant
Genetic Resources Unit and Grape Genetics Research Unit:
$650,000
- Ithaca, N.Y., Robert W.
Holley Center for Agriculture and Health: $275,000
- Fargo, N.D., Red River
Valley Agricultural Research Center: $1.17 million
- El Reno, Okla.,
Grazinglands Research Laboratory: $130,000
- Corvallis, Ore.,
Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Forage Seed and Cereal
Research Unit,
- National Clonal Germplasm
Repository Unit: $355,000
- Pendleton, Ore., Columbia
Plateau Conservation Research Center: $150,000
- Wyndmoor, Pa., Eastern
Regional Research Center: $20.1 million
- Florence, S.C., Coastal
Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center: $230,000
- College Station, Texas,
Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center: $1.3 million
- Logan, Utah, USDA-ARS
Forage & Range Research Laboratory: $55,000
- Madison, Wis., U.S. Dairy
Forage Research Center and Cereal Crops Laboratory: $650,000
- Kearneysville, W.Va.,
Appalachian Fruit Research Station: $650,000
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