Foot and mouth disease

Again I have to ask the question: What the heck is the government thinking??
I suggest, even if you don't raise animals, that you read these two articles about the governments proposal for a new lab to research (among other things) Foot and Mouth disease. The difference here is the the "old" lab is located in a non (or at least reduced) livestock area. The new areas for consideration are located right in the heart of commercial livestock areas. Hence---if an accidental escape of the disease occurred as it did in England a few years back---we could see a mass depopulation of livestock. Both commercially and privately owned. The article mentions scenarios played out by officials to see how bad it would be if this occurred. What happened in their scenario? Why food shortages and large riots.
How about them apples?

Dangerous animal virus on U.S mainland?

and

Texas may be home to new foot and mouth lab