The federal government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, did not allot enough funds to complete the National Centers for Animal Health, research and diagnostic facilities in Ames.

Teresa Sutton, program analyst for the National Animal Disease Center, said the total cost will be approximately $467 million to complete the facilities.

The Senate Appropriations Committee gave $122 million of the $178 million needed to complete the project.

Sutton said the National Centers for Animal Health will jointly house several different facilities.

“The National Centers for Animal Health will meet our nation’s need for research, diagnosis, and product evaluation,” said Sutton.

Keith Murray, the director of the National Animal Disease Center, said even though the facilities were not given enough money for this financial year, the center was happy with the money received and looks forward to obtaining the funds needed in the next financial year.

“It will be enough to finish the first three phases of the center,” Murray said.

He said there are four buildings to be built in Ames. The first is the small laboratory building already constructed and operating. This building was built first to do research on dangerous infectious agents, he said.

Second, Murray said, is the large animal long-term containment building, which is under construction.

It will deal with large farm animals and wildlife that are infected with diseases.

The third building will have a consolidated lab with administrative offices, conference rooms and a cafeteria, Murray said. He said this will be the largest of the four. The fourth building, and also the one lacking funding, is the low-containment facility, Murray said. The most work will be conducted at this building.

“It will be the biggest research and diagnostic facility for animals in the world,” said Murray. He said it is also the biggest facility the U.S. Department of Agriculture will have built thus far.

The National Animal Disease Center anticipates the completion of the facility in 2007.