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Homeland Security seeks input on Plum Island disease lab

 
Anonymous Coward
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08/22/2007 09:18 AM
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Homeland Security seeks input on Plum Island disease lab
[link to www.newsday.com]
Even though Plum Island is not on the list of five sites being considered for a new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the Department of Homeland Security is holding a public meeting Thursday night in Southold to solicit comments on whether the island would be a good site for the lab.

Plum Island, located off Orient Point and home of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center scheduled to be superceded by the new facility after 2013, hasn't been considered for the new lab that will study more dangerous pathogens in part because the state's two Democratic senators, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) oppose the idea as being too dangerous.

But Department of Homeland Security spokesman Larry Orluskie said the agency's environmental review process requires consideration of the currently operational site as a fallback if the other locations are deemed unusable.



"When you do an environmental impact statement, one of the options always on the table is to do nothing, which would mean that Plum Island would still be the location," he said. But Plum Island could not serve as the site for the new facility while remaining at its current level of operation, Biosafety Level 3, which is what the area's elected officials want. "That can't happen because Plum Island as it is today doesn't meet the needs," Orluskie said. "It could be a location to build a new facility."

And if the lab is built elsewhere as many on Long Island expect, Orluskie said, "No decision has been made as to the future of Plum Island."

Those who come to speak at Southold High School at 6 p.m. tomorrow would have a chance to comment on whether or not they would like to see a BSL-4 lab built on the island. "We want to hear both sides," Orluskie said.

Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said "it's my sincere hope that they decide to reconstruct the facility and continue to use it. I know that is probably an unlikely scenario but it's an important facility for this town." Russell said he would like to see discussion on whether it makes sense to upgrade the lab to the BSL-4 "but unfortunately that's a discussion that no one's going to have at this point" because of the opposition by Bishop, Clinton and Schumer.

In July, nearly a year after announcing that Plum Island would not be considered as a site for the new, $450 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the Department of Homeland Security named five finalists as possible venues: Manhattan, Kan.; Athens, Ga.; San Antonio; Granville County, N.C.; and Madison County, Miss. After the environmental impact statement on the five finalists is completed, final site selection is slated for 2009.

Most local officials do not want to upgrade research on Plum Island to handle more dangerous Bio-safety Level 4 toxins such as anthrax and the Ebola virus. But they asked Homeland Security to keep the lab open to continue researching BSL Level 3 research on foreign animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever after 2013.

Although not required, pre-registration to speak tomorrow is encouraged by visiting [link to www.dhs.gov] or calling 1-866-501-NBAF (6223). Viewing of exhibits and onsite registration is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with a Homeland Security presentation at 7 p.m. followed by a question-and-answer period and public comments.

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Anonymous Coward (OP)
User ID: 129568
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08/22/2007 09:23 AM
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Re: Homeland Security seeks input on Plum Island disease lab
Seriously.
Why is it that when I see the words "Chertoff" and "Ebola" together I get that weird feeling.
You know. That "GLP" feeling?





GLP