Expansion threatens WSU Veterinary School

Major construction at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport could force Washington State University to replace up to 40 buildings and a large swath of farmland, jeopardizing experiments and millions of dollars in research grants, university officials say.

Section:Gallery

Mon., May 2, 2016

Standing in the path of the Pullman Airport runway expansion are the Washington State School of Veterinary Medicine’s many research facilities housing bighorn sheep, farm animals, grizzly bears and many other species. Moving the facilities are possible, but animals like these bighorn sheep are raised to be completely disease free and a new generation of animals would have to be produced in a new facility to continue the disease research. WSU is supporting the airport expansion and the economic development that could come with it, but the disruption to research the cost of many specialized buildings and research projects would cost many more millions than some have estimated. Photographed Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

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Bighorn rams look out of their quarantine enclosure at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine on the outskirts of Pullman, Washington Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Sheep like these have been raised from birth in captivity and are certified to be disease free, an important component of the research going on at WSU’s programs in the animal sciences. To move the dozens, perhaps hundreds of animals used to study diseases would interrupt and delay millions of dollars in animal studies, many funded by government agencies, like the USDA and others.

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A bighorn ram looks out of its enclosure at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine on the outskirts of Pullman, Washington Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Sheep like this one have been raised from birth in captivity and are certified to be disease free, an important component of the research going on at WSU’s programs in the animal sciences. To move the dozens, perhaps hundreds of animals used to study diseases would invalidate their disease-free status and require them to be euthanized and new animals raised. It would interrupt and delay millions of dollars in animal studies, many funded by government agencies, like the USDA and others. Dozens of buildings and animal containment areas are in the path or the crash zone of the Pullman airport expansion.

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Research buildings are spread across several hillsides on the outskirts of the Pullman, Washington for use by the Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine faculty and students, many of whom are studying animal diseases. The expansion of the Pullman airport endangers the future of this facility and the estimates of the cost of moving the facility fall far behind the amount actually needed. Each building is a specialized for animal care, air handling, disinfectable surfaces and security measures.

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Deborah Wolheter, farm manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities at Washington State University, stands Tuesday, April 19, 2016, near a cow, which is kept disease-free in an indoor pen, in one of the many buildings overseen by the WSU School of Veterinary Medicine in partnership with the USDA and used to study animal diseases.

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Newborn sheep and their mother live inside an enclosed building at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine on the outskirts of Pullman, Washington Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Sheep like these are raised from birth in captivity and are certified to be disease-free, an important component of the research going on at WSU’s programs in the animal sciences. To move the dozens, perhaps hundreds of animals used to study diseases would invalidate their disease-free status and require them to be euthanized and new animals raised. It would interrupt and delay millions of dollars in animal studies, many funded by government agencies, like the USDA and others. Dozens of buildings and animal containment areas are in the path or the crash zone of the Pullman airport expansion.

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The sleepy Pullman airport is slated for expansion, which could bring a lot more traffic and bigger airplanes, but a problem is how to pay to move the many nearby animal facilities of the Washington State University veterinary school. The many specialized buildings, equipment and one-of-a-kind animals will cost more to replace than has been estimated.

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The sleepy Pullman airport is slated for expansion, which could bring a lot more traffic and bigger airplanes, but a problem is how to move the many nearby animal research facilities of the Washington State University veterinary school and how to pay for it. The many specialized buildings, equipment and one-of-a-kind animals will cost more to replace than has been estimated.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo