Black & Veatch to coordinate Armenia’s national biological threat reduction program

U.S. Government awards first-of-its-kind program to make the world asafer place

OVERLAND PARK, KAN.(2 June 2011) – The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency(DTRA) has selected Black & Veatch to work with the government of Armeniato design a sustainable program that will strengthen the Republic of Armenia’shuman and veterinary biological threat reduction capabilities and the publichealth system. The project is the first time DTRA has selected a contractor toprovide program design for a country before contracting for programimplementation.

“Black & Veatch has been working with DTRA continuously for more than 18years, implementing cooperative threat reduction programs across former SovietUnion countries, including Ukraine and Russia,” said Matthew Webber, Black& Veatch Vice President and Program Manager. “Our experience inimplementing these programs will provide tremendous value to DTRA as we work todesign Armenia’s program.”

The project is part of DTRA’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program(CBEP) to combat bioterrorism and prevent the proliferation of biologicalweapons-related technology, pathogens and expertise. The program also aims toenhance host governments’ disease surveillance systems to detect and reportbioterror attacks, epidemics and potential pandemics.

“Infectious disease and deadly pathogens are not bound by borders. Our workwith DTRA as part of the CBEP helps make these countries, and therefore theentire global community, more secure in the fight against bioterrorism,” saidBill Van Dyke, President of Black & Veatch’s Federal Services Division.

Editor’s Notes

• The CBEP, formerly known as the Biological Threat Reduction Program, ispart of DTRA’s overall Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.
• The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program was established in 1991 as part ofthe Nunn-Lugar Act. The program seeks to help the states of the former SovietUnion safeguard and dismantle stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biologicalweapons, related materials and delivery systems.
• The Nunn-Lugar program was expanded to counter 21^stcenturyterrorist threats.
• DTRA executes this program for the U.S. Department of Defense and works incollaboration with partner governments and other U.S. Government agencies thatadminister related projects.
• DTRA awarded Black & Veatch one of its Biological Threat ReductionIntegrating Contracts (BTRIC) in 2008. The overall BTRIC contract has acollective ceiling of $4 billion over 10 years among five selected contractors.The five contractors competitively bid for Task Orders issued under BTRIC.
• The Armenia CBEP is a Task Order under BTRIC.
• In 2008, Black & Veatch was awarded the first Task Order under BTRIC -prime integrating contractor for DTRA’s CBEP in Ukraine, a five-year, more than$100 million project under which Black & Veatch is designing, engineeringand deploying systems, processes and technologies to further strengthenreporting, detection and response capabilities. In addition, Black & Veatchconstructed the firstlevel 3biologically safe laboratoryto become operational under CBEP in the formerSoviet Union.
• Black & Veatch has continuously worked with DTRA since 1993 tosafeguard against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, includingbiological, chemical and nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union. Previouswork with DTRA includes:
  
  • Integrating contractor for deployment of the RussianAutomatedInventory Control and Management Systemto secure Russia’s nuclear arsenalawaiting dismantlement
  • Developing and deploying to CBEP countries the Electronic InfectiousDisease Surveillance System (EIDSS) and the Pathogen Asset Control System(PACS)

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About DTRA

DTRA safeguards the United States and its allies from weapons of massdestruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high explosives)by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat andmitigate its effects. This combat support agency serves as the intellectual,technical, and operational leader for the Department of Defense in the nationaleffort to combat weapons of mass destruction.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch (www.bv.com) is a globalleader in the consulting, engineering, construction and operation of what theworld needs now and in the future in the crucial areas of energy, water andtelecommunications and in providing up-to-the-minute services in the fastchanging federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915, theemployee-owned, $2.3 billion company operates out of over 110 offices worldwideand has completed projects in more than 100 countries.

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