U.S. Awards $175 Million for Ukraine Biosecurity Measures
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
The U.S. Defense Department has awarded a Kansas company a five-year, $175 million contract to equip Ukraine with new measures to help prevent biological weapon attacks and proliferation, the Kansas City Business Journal reported yesterday (see GSN, March 29, 2006).
Under the Defense Threat Reduction Agency deal, infrastructure-development firm Black & Veatch is expected to provide Ukraine with new means to counter potential acts of biological terrorism and to prohibit the flow of dangerous disease agents, equipment and knowledge. The U.S. company would also upgrade the former Soviet state’s capabilities to identify and report biological terror incidents as well as other disease outbreaks.
The contract further encompasses upgrades to existing Ukrainian laboratories that work with dangerous human and animal disease agents and for the construction of a secure storage center to permanently hold such material.
“Our Ukraine task order will enhance the safety and well-being of the country as well as globally,” Black & Veatch federal services chief Bill Van Dyke said in a statement. “This is an opportunity to apply our capabilities to provide sustainable solutions to our clients’ most complex challenges.”
The Pentagon could provide up to $4 billion through the new deal and four other Biological Threat Reduction Integrating Contracts (Kansas City Business Journal, Oct. 14).
WtR