WASHINGTON --- The federal government has recommended a site in Kansas for a new $450 million laboratory to study biological threats such as anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease, officials said Wednesday.

The Homeland Security Department's choice of Manhattan, in central Kansas, beat out intense competition from other sites in Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas.

Agency officials revealed their decision to several lawmakers late Tuesday, according to lawmakers and staff familiar with the briefings. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement won't be made until later this week.

The choice won't become final until sometime after a 30-day window for comments on the decision, which could face legal challenges from losing states. Homeland Security spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said the department would have no comment until the formal announcement.

Officials at the University of Georgia, which has been campaigning for the site for three years, said they had yet to get official confirmation that their bid was unsuccessful.

But David Lee, who led the campaign, said he saw a memo outlining the agency's decision.

"I honestly believe this was a great effort, and I really think we hit all the notes," said David Lee, the school's vice president for research.

The proposal had sparked opposition in Athens, as some residents worried about housing a lab that specializes in researching dangerous germs. Business and political leaders said it could foster economic growth.

The new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility would replace an aging 24-acre research complex on Plum Island, off the eastern shore of New York's Long Island. Foot-and-mouth research has been confined to the island since 1955 to avoid an accidental outbreak that could lead to the slaughter of millions of livestock.