New team at Plum Isle
Homeland Security names director and contractor
By Gwendolen Groocock

The New Year rings in changes for the Plum Island Animal Disease center, with a new director and a new contractor named this week by the Department of Homeland Security.

"We hope to bring some stability back to the island," said Maureen McCarthy, director of DHS's office of research and development, which oversees Plum Island, on Wednesday. "It's been a year of uncertainty, particularly for the Plum Island employees, who are a very special group of people charged with a mission that is critical for our nation."

Elected officials expressed hope that the new regime will indeed bring changes to the animal disease research facility, which has long been plagued with serious safety concerns and a reputation for secrecy. Senator Hillary Clinton and Congressman Tim Bishop said they will be reaching out to the new director and contractor about concerns they have been raising for more than a year.

"I hope that today marks another essential step toward launching a new era for Plum Island," Ms. Clinton was quoted as saying in a press release. "I trust that we can address the lack of oversight and accountability of the past. I am also hopeful that this signals a clear commitment on the part of DHS to ensure the highest level of performance as well as proper treatment of the work force at Plum Island."

The new director is Dr. Elizabeth Lautner, 48, who has strong ties to the pork industry, a huge sector of the nation's $90-billion-a-year agricultural industry.

"It's extremely crucial to prevent and, if that's not possible, to respond to any animal health threat that could affect our agriculture industry," Dr. Lautner said on Monday. As the only facility that conducts diagnostics and research on exotic diseases in large animals, "Plum Island is truly unique," she said. "It's a national treasure, and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it."

Prior to her appointment, Dr. Lautner was president for science and technology at the Iowa-based National Pork Board, overseeing a $6 million budget for research and development on swine health, quality, production and other issues of concern to about 80,000 U.S. pork producers. She holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Michigan State University, and had her own veterinary practice that served pork producers in Iowa for over a decade. She also works with the National Animal Health Emergency Management Steering Committee, a group of federal and state agencies, veterinarians and members of the livestock community that works to coordinate national response to potential emergencies.

"Beth has been working very closely with us since January in the development of our plan for Plum Island, and we're really thrilled to have her," said Ms. McCarthy. "Her background is impeccable, and her understanding of the intricacies of animal disease issues and the agricultural producers' issues is second to none. She is a key part in our development of a really robust agricultural security strategy."

While DHS owns Plum Island, the U.S. Department of Agriculture retains control of the research and diagnostic programs. Dr. Lautner feels her experience dealing with different groups and agencies and her broad-based understanding of biosecurity and disease control issues will be an asset in her role as director.

Dr. Lautner also said she intends her office to be "very transparent" in dealing with the media and interested community groups, continuing the track record of open communication set by outgoing acting director Marc Hollander. In the past, Plum Island was dogged with a reputation for unnecessary secrecy.

Dr. Lautner is married and has three children.

The DHS has selected Field Support Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation based in Barrow, Alaska, for a five-year, $12 million-a-year contract, to be renewed annually.

"It's a completely different kind of contract than the old one," said Ms. McCarthy. "There's a very strong incentive for good performance."

While Ms. McCarthy couldn't immediately confirm whether or not FSSI has prior experience in laboratory biocontainment, she said the contractor was chosen for its "substantial experience" as a security and maintenance contractor, and through a market survey conducted by DHS that indicated FSSI has a proven performance record, she said.

FSSI will set up an office on Plum Island and over the next few weeks it will meet with the 88 current security and maintenance employees in order to conduct entrance interviews, she said.

FSSI replaces North Fork Services Inc., the Plum Island operating name of LB&B Associates, Maryland, in partnership with the Olgoonik Corporation of Alaska. At the same time DHS announced this fall that it would seek a new contractor, a federal General Accounting Office report raised serious safety and security concerns about the island lab. In addition, disputes with the Union of Operating Engineers Local 30, which had been on strike since August 2002, remain unresolved. Over 20 of 76 strikers have been rehired to date, but the union and elected officials continue to call for all the workers who struck to be rehired.

"We have contacted FSSI, and they have agreed to meet with us next week," said union attorney Marty Glennon, with the Mineola firm Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein. "We look forward to good-faith negotiations with them."

The union will also seek to discuss the rehiring of the striking workers, he said.

As the security and maintenance contractor, FSSI will be in charge of the power plant, water and wastewater system, the building, environmental operations, and the motor vehicles and fleet of ferry boats. FSSI holds many large contracts with the U.S. government, including a $1.1 billion military supply contract in a joint venture with another Alaskan company.

Tom Sheridan, Plum Island's deputy director for operations, said in a press release that FSSI is a "pre-qualified contractor who already has a proven track record for this type of support." He also indicated that the contract was awarded under a federal "performance-based award" program.

The Plum Island Animal Disease Center, in operation since 1954, is the country's only enhanced biosafety-level 3 facility for researching foreign diseases, like foot and mouth disease, in large animals.

An aerial view of Plum Island, with Orient Point and the North Fork in background.