MEDIA ADVISORY:
WHAT: The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in Amarillo will hold groundbreaking ceremonies for a new Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory addition and other renovations . Construction on this facility is expected to begin in late March and be concluded in early 2011.
WHERE: The new addition and renovations will be built at the site of the current Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at 6610 Amarillo Blvd. W.
WHEN: An invitation-only reception will begin at 1:30 p.m. followed by a program at 2 p.m. March 22 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center-Amarillo, located at 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd. (Media are invited to these two events.) The group will move next door to the veterinary laboratory for the groundbreaking ceremonies at 3 p.m., and the general public is invited to attend this portion.
WHO: State Sen. Kel Seliger; State Rep. David Swinford; Dr. Larry Boleman, Texas A&M System; Dr. Tammy Beckham, veterinary medical diagnostic laboratory state director; Dr. Robert Sprowls, resident director for the Amarillo lab; Mike Engler, Texas Cattle Feeders Association; Ken Horton, Texas Pork Producers Association; Darren Turley, Texas Association of Dairymen; and Clay Birdwell, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
WHY: These renovations will provide new BSL-3 laboratory space, which will help expand the veterinary diagnostic lab’s capacity to rapidly respond to and recover from a high-consequence agricultural and/or zoonotic disease event. A newly renovated sample receiving area and a new bio-secure sample drop-off area is also planned for the Amarillo laboratory. -30-