Environmentalists fret about NY island's future
AP – FILE - In this undated file photo provided by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department … PLUM ISLAND, N.Y. – Researchers since the 1950s have studied dangerous animal diseases here that if unleashed could imperil the nation's livestock. Cold War germ warfare testing also occurred on Plum Island, and for decades the U.S. Army used it as a coastal defense post.
Nevertheless, many environmentalists characterize it as a "remarkable gem" and "exemplary site for fish and wildlife" when describing its attributes.
The federal government wants to relocate the animal disease lab to Kansas and is proceeding with plans to sell the isolated, 840-acre pork chop-shaped island off the eastern tip of Long Island, a move that has some environmentalists fretting about Plum Island's future.
On Wednesday, more than two dozen environmentalists and civic leaders took part in a daylong tour of Plum Island. It was a rare public glimpse of operations at the secure facility that allowed no visitors until the 1990s.
Following morning briefings by lab director Dr. Larry Barrett and other Plum Island officials, the environmentalists were taken on a bus tour of wetlands, a lighthouse and other sites that are home to endangered bird species and wildlife.
"There has been, in the past, more secrecy about the facility," said Barrett, who noted more than a dozen community groups have visited this year. "This facility is not a threat to the nation, it's not a threat to anyone. The job here is to protect our nation against attacks on our livestock."
Officials were peppered with questions about sewage treatment, groundwater testing, whether surveys have been conducted on the impact a sale might have on wildlife and concerns about possible environmental contamination. The Plum Island brass were short on specific answers to many of the questions, but promised a follow-up meeting.
Click image to see photos of Plum Island
AP/USDA-ARS, File
"I was a little surprised by the lack of detailed environmental information so that was a little disappointing, said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "So we still have the same concerns. The same concerns about groundwater, soil, wetland contamination. We need to make sure that public health is protected as well as the natural assets."
Although Agriculture Department scientists perform the lab studies, the island has been overseen by the Department of Homeland Security since 2003.
Because of the island's status as a potential target for terrorists who might want to steal dangerous pathogens or wreak other havoc, all visitors must undergo FBI background checks and all bags are inspected before visitors are permitted onto a ferry for the 1 1/2-mile trip.
Despite its mystique as the subject of a 1997 Nelson DeMille best-selling book of the same name, and its mention as a possible home for Hannibal Lecter in the film "Silence of the Lambs," Plum Island could be an ideal place for day trips because of its pristine beaches, some environmentalists say. They'd rather see that than homes or condo developed there.
"It would be a terrible insult to the millions of people who live within an hour's drive of the (Long Island) Sound for this to be developed as a playground for the few, as opposed to making it a managed and loved place for the many," said Curt Johnson, program director of a group called Save the Sound.
He said the island has been identified as "an exemplary site for fish and wildlife, and in particular colonial birds." Nearby Great Gull Island, Little Gull Island and Plum Island combined have a large population of nesting roseate terns, an endangered species, he added.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which is responsible for selling the island, is compiling a draft environmental impact statement, a preliminary step for any sale. Expected last month, the statement has been delayed until late November or early December, GSA spokeswoman Paula Santangelo said, to allow input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Documents, some obtained this year by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Law, reveal that hundreds of tons of medical waste, contaminated soil and other refuse have been shipped off the island. Other island sites have been cleaned in compliance with federal regulations.
And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined in 2006 that no munitions or ordnance remain from an old Army base. As late as 2007, New York government inspection reports said there is no environmental threat on the island.
Despite talk of selling Plum Island, officials said a new lab in Manhattan, Kan., is not scheduled to open until 2018. Still pending is a congressional risk assessment of Homeland Security's decision to move the animal disease lab there; some lawmakers question the wisdom of studying dangerous pathogens in the so-called Beef Belt. DHS has determined that an accidental release of foot-and-mouth disease would have a $4.2 billion impact on the economy, regardless of the lab's location.
Still, the tour Wednesday was another incremental step toward an eventual sale.
Alan Schnurman, a real estate developer in the Hamptons on Long Island's east end, said he has heard estimates that Plum Island could fetch as much as $50 million.
"As a high-end real estate project, whether it's developed as a resort or for high-end individual homes, Plum Island is very appealing to a certain segment of the population," Schnurman said. "I'm an environmentalist at heart, so I'd probably like to see a combination of both. They should develop the area where the lab is located and set aside the rest for environmental purposes."
In addition to the laboratory, Plum Island features a water filtration plant, sewage treatment facilities and other amenities attractive to developers.
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