Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Breaks Ground for New Laboratory in Harrisonburg

In his remarks, Secretary Bloxom thanked the members of the General Assembly, VDACS, and the agricultural industry for their assistance in securing funding for the project. He mentioned that the lab will play an important role in food safety and consumer protection as it tests milk, water, dairy samples, and tissue for the presence of harmful bacteria and other pathogens, and added that it helps bolster the local economy as it protects the health of agricultural animals.

When completed, the new facility will house a state-of-the-art animal health diagnostic laboratory, plus office space for other VDACS employees in Veterinary Services, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Plant Pest Services, Dairy Inspection, Poultry and Egg Grading, Market News, and Livestock Marketing. It will have a suite capable of performing Biosecurity Level 3 work, which makes it one of only a few state-run labs that could respond to a major threat such as Anthrax. It will feature 14,750 square feet of laboratory space and 8,911 square feet of office space, for a total of 23,661 square feet; a pathological waste incinerator, essential for the disposal of infectious animal waste; a necropsy lab with a two-ton hoist to handle large animals, and a sophisticated filtration system that provides separate ventilation for the necropsy and bacteriology labs

Heavy construction work began on Monday, March 27, with completion scheduled for September 2007.