Senator Carper’s Kent County Schedule for Monday, July 11, 2005

Dover, DE – Senator Tom Carper will spend Monday, July 11 2005, in Kent County. The Senator will tour the newly-renovated Public Health Laboratory in Smyrna. The chemical terrorism laboratory detects metals at trace levels and cyanide and nerve agents in clinical samples – new capabilities for Delaware. The new Bio Safety Level III laboratory includes a 100-square-foot addition, and testing capabilities for anthrax and other microbes that could be used in a terrorist event. Both labs have state-of-the-art safety features. The Bio Safety Level III lab is equipped with a vaporized hydrogen peroxide system to kill accidentally released microbes. Both new labs have special air handling systems to filter incoming and outgoing air. Remodeling included a new entrance for hazardous samples. Previously, such samples were carried through the entire building, potentially exposing bystanders and jeopardizing sample and laboratory security. The new entrance leads directly to the area testing for hazardous samples. Construction began in the fall of 2004 and ended April 1, 2005. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the project at a cost of nearly $1.8 million. New equipment includes mass spectrometers, bio-safety cabinets, an autoclave, a thermalcycler, freezers, refrigerators and incubators. The Senator will be having lunch at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, where he will speak briefly about social security. The Center Director, Carolyn Fredricks, was appointed by the Senator as a representative to the White House Conference on Aging that is scheduled to take place this fall. Finally, the Senator will participate in an Open House at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). On March 1, 2005, the USDA agencies officially collocated together in the current building, marking the end of a seven year journey. Prior to the three agencies coming together, Delaware offices for the Farm Services Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Rural Development were located separately in three different buildings unable to share common areas or equipment. Today, the new office provides space for 73 employees that share more than equipment and rooms; they share a partnership that is dedicated to serving farmers and other rural customers. Friday, June 10, 2005 10:30 – 11:15 Tour of DHSS Public Health Bio Safety III Laboratory 30 Sunnyside Road Smyrna 11:30 – 12:30 Lunch at Modern Maturity Center 1121 Forrest Avenue Dover 1:00 – 1:45 USDA Open House 1221 College Park Drive Dover PROGRAM: Marlene Elliott, State Director, Delaware and Maryland, USDA Rural Development Brittany Platzke, Song Pledge of Allegiance, Led by FFA and 4H The Honorable Thomas R. Carper, United States Senator Richard Bergold, State Executive Director USDA Farm Service Agency Ginger Murphy, State Conservationist Natural Resources Conservation Service Meryln Carlson, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Natural Resources Conservation Service Ceremonial Knot Tying Tour of the offices