However, the CVB-Inspection and Compliance staff is located 5 miles away from the main NVSL facility at the Aspen Park location. Recently, CVB-Licensing and Policy Development Staff was moved from Riverdale, Maryland, to Ames, adding an additional 29 employees to the now crowded Aspen Park location. The physical separation of these three CVB branches inhibits their ability to reach the customer service goals set by the Department. Program needs for modernized facilities Besides the structural inadequacy of existing facilities, the overall needs for animal health work around the world have changed since the facilities were built. The U.S. national animal health program must keep abreast of these changes to ensure the strength of our animal industries and well-being of the public.
Competition is tough.
Following a 1992 report highlighting the serious facility problems at NADC, ARS developed a master plan for NADC in 1997. The joint plan promises to provide many advantages over separate new facilities including a large cash saving and the much shorter completion time. Besides new high biocontainment animal facilities and a new safe laboratory building, the existing NVSL main building would become the new administrative headquarters and the recently constructed incinerator necropsy facility would be part of the new master plan. Many obsolete components of the existing facilities will be demolished.