http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080411/ap_on_go_pr_wh/animal_disease_5

The US has a research facility on Plum Island, away from livestock, reachable only by helicopter or ferry. Homeland Security wants a new lab, quite possibly located near livestock herds.

"there are financial concerns about operating from a location accessible only by ferry or helicopter."

"An epidemic of the disease, foot and mouth, which only affects animals, could devastate the livestock industry."

"the simulation's National Guardsmen were ordered to kill tens of millions of farm animals, so many that troops ran out of bullets. In the exercise, the government said it would have been forced to dig a ditch in Kansas 25 miles long to bury carcasses. In the simulation, protests broke out in some cities amid food shortages."

This seems like classic penny-wise, pound-foolish. Not to mention something to file under "is there anything this administration won't try to screw up?"