Proposed Action

Background

The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) was established in 1975 as the first biomedical laboratory dedicated to assessing the impact of disease on wildlife and identifying the role of various pathogens in contributing to wildlife losses. Located five miles southwest of downtown Madison, Wisconsin, the NWHC is the only national center devoted to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention in the United States.

The emergence of wildlife diseases has become a high-priority concern in the United States and the world. In addition to their harmful effects on natural wildlife populations and ecosystems, there is the potential for the spread of zoonotic diseases to humans, and for causing economic losses associated with livestock morbidity and mortality. The scientists working at the NWHC are responsible for conducting research and for investigating and responding to known and emerging wildlife diseases and wildlife mortality outbreaks throughout the United States.

Designated as a "mission essential" facility, the NWHC functions to advance wildlife health science for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. However, a growing challenge to performing its mission is the age and space limitations associated with the present NWHC, including crowded laboratories and administrative areas, inefficient use of space, aging infrastructure, and increasing costs associated with operation and maintenance of facilities and equipment. The extensive renovations necessary to meet contemporary standards and practices while continuing operations are cost prohibitive.

Starting in 2008, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which oversees the NWHC, conducted multiple planning studies to identify and evaluate options for modernizing the NWHC. The preferred option that emerged from this process is to develop an entirely new facility on the grounds of the present NWHC in Madison so that the NWHC can continue to accomplish its important mission.

Proposed Action

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to develop an updated facility for the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC). This Proposed Action would support the agency's current and future needs to streamline delivery of research, enhance worker and public safety, modernize biohazard and pathogen containment and biological-waste disposal, and improve operating efficiencies and costs. Alternatives identified for the Proposed Action include, but are not limited to, a decision not to proceed with the Proposed Action (i.e., the No Action Alternative) and the Preferred Action Alternative to build a new NWHC on the current NWHC property in Madison, Wisconsin. The new facility proposed under the Preferred Action Alternative would provide purpose-built laboratory, administrative, and support spaces and biohazard containment using modern equipment and building systems to protect the health and safety of staff, visitors, the public, and the environment.

As a mission-essential facility, the existing NWHC must remain operational during construction of the new facility. Construction of the new NWHC facility is tentatively scheduled for 2025, and once the new facility is completed, the existing Main Building and Tight Isolation Building would be demolished. At this time, USGS is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the environmental effects of the proposed action.

Purpose & Need

Purpose

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to update the aging NHWC facility, incorporating technological advances in biosafety engineering and equipment as well as adding additional space for enhanced animal care and research.

Need

The NHWC needs a modern facility, with sufficient space and modern technologies to support their mission essential research. Previous studies indicated that continuing to update the current facility to meet the mission and function of the NWHC is limited and costly. This has resulted in the need for a more cost-effective solution to maintain administrative, operational, health, and safety standards and requirements as well as provide the spaces needed to conduct research into wildlife disease detection, additional space for enhanced animal-care conditions, and other programs that support the mission of the NWHC. In addition, there is the need to incorporate modern laboratory equipment, mechanical systems, the latest technologies and the latest operating and management approaches, all of which will further enhance the NWHC's capability to reduce exposure to pathogens and the risks faced by staff and public.