Homeland Security not best agency for some tasks, Torres testifies

Alfonso Torres, director of the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and associate dean for veterinary public policy at Cornell'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. His comments focused on the proposed transfer of all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) activities as well as the Plum Island (N.Y.) Animal Disease Center to the new department.

Alfonso Torres, associate dean and director of the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, testifies before a U.S. Senate committee July 17 about a plan to move animal and plant health protection services from the USDA to the proposed Department of Homeland Security. Gannett News Service, Heather Martin Morrissey

In his remarks, Torres recommended that all APHIS laboratories and science centers involved in animal and plant health protection should continue to be administered under USDA. He argued that parallel units involved in human health protection were to remain independent of the new Department of Homeland Security, but would get federal funding for laboratory support, diagnosis and research related to homeland security. APHIS units involved in animal and plant health protection were no different in mission and activities than the human-related variety, he said. However, he agreed that some of the APHIS inspection activities at ports of entry could appropriately fall under the new department.

The following day Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, under pressure from Congress, announced that only USDA border inspectors will move from APHIS to the Department of Homeland Security.

Torres came to Cornell in February 2002. Previously he 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 the foreign animal disease diagnostic laboratory (1995-96) and head of diagnostic services (1991-95). The full text of his remarks are available at http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/July02/TorresComments.dhs.html. Below are excerpts from his prepared testimony.

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

"The president's proposal ... 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 Department of Homeland Security. They are International Services, Wildlife Services and Animal Care. The other two, Veterinary Services and Plant Protection and Quarantine, 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. ...

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

"All agricultural port inspection could be transferred to the Border and Transportation Security Division of the Department of Homeland Security. Their duties are quite integrated [with] the customs service of the Department of Justice, and they are already co-located at sea, land and air ports of entry. ...

"There is a need to have Emergency Management veterinarians co-located with FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] to coordinate their assistance in disasters of any origin where animals are involved. ...

"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 Plant Protection and Quarantine plant health laboratories in several locations in the United States ...

"It is important to point out that the Plum Island Animal Disease Center was created ... in 1954 as the only laboratory in the U.S. where foot and mouth disease and other highly contagious diseases could be studied. ... APHIS conducts diagnostic [tests] on highly contagious diseases of livestock at Plum Island [and] 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 Department of Homeland Security. ...

"The president's proposal would keep the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health under their current department but would provide additional funding and programs for assisting the new Department of Homeland Security 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 program at Ames, Iowa, and Plum Island, N.Y. There is no difference in mission and activities between the CDC/NIH laboratories for human health and the [Ames, Iowa] 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. ... 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."