Statement from Governor Sonny Perdue Concerning Georgia's NBAF Bid

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today concerning Georgia’s bid for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility:

“This morning, I spoke with Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Jay Cohen about Georgia’s bid for the National Bio- and Agro- Defense Facility.  He made it clear that we had a strong technical proposal that met the criteria DHS laid out for this facility.  However, I was extremely disappointed to learn that despite strong support from UGA and our elected officials, a small activist minority of the local community has effectively taken away a great opportunity for the Athens area.  As the Centers for Disease Control has shown, the addition of NBAF would have meant stable, high-paying jobs and significant investment for our state.  When I specifically asked Under Secretary Cohen about the qualifications for the facility, he quickly pointed out that opposition by a tiny contingent was the definitive reason Athens was not selected.”

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