WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts announced today a $378,000 grant to the State of Kansas for Homeland Security Buffer Zone Protection.

The funds will be used to make terrorist attacks more difficult within the vicinity of sites where certain chemicals are stored or manufactured. It will also increase the preparedness capabilities of areas responsible for the security and safety of the communities in Kansas surrounding these sites.

"We need to make sure that our communities have the training and equipment necessary to detect and deter a potential attack," Senator Roberts said. "It is also vital that the first responders on the front lines in Kansas are prepared to protect the public in the event of an act of terrorism."

This funding is in addition to the 2005 allocation of $1 million for the purchase of equipment that will extend the zone of protection beyond the gates of these critical facilities.

This grant was awarded by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

In 2005, Senator Roberts and Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) introduced similar legislation to better protect the nation from terrorists and illegal drug traffickers by improving security at sites where agricultural chemicals are stored.

The bill, called The Agricultural Business Security Tax Credit Act, provides tax credits on the amount paid to implement security measures at agricultural facilities where pesticides and fertilizers are stored. Agriculture retailers, distributors, manufacturers, formulators and aerial applicators of agricultural pesticides or fertilizers are eligible for the credit.

Senator Roberts held the first hearing on the issue of agroterrorism in 1999 before the Senate Committee on Armed Service’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. He authored provisions to protect agriculture in the 2002 Bioterrorism Preparedness Bill. He is the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.