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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlum Island infoFISHERS I I ,NI CI GG- ASSOCIATION P. O. Box 46,.~sh~~ York 06390 516-788-7029 November 2, 1999 To our membership: The Civic Association Board of Directors wishes to express our sincere appreciation for your generous financial and membership support this year. Our membership is at an all-time high, and your financial support has allowed us to purchase some much needed office equipment, We are mailing the minutes of our October meeting and our Annual meeting to you at this time. Our new Secretary, Terry Crupi, will be monitoring our telephone and fax line (631-788-7029). Please do not hesitate to contact us. I am also sharing with you a recent article printed in the Southold paper. Again, our most sincere thanks, Nancy Hunt, President Fishers Island Civic Association Town Board, snarls over Plum Isle news By Gwendolen Groocock SOUTHOLD--"Plum Island is a parl of Somhold Town, and we should bc informed and educated about what goes on there." TOWN Supervisor Jean Cochran said at HALL thelast regular Town Board meet- NOTES ing."Ir anyone has an car lo tile U.S. Department of Agriculture, let them know we're nol happy campers." in light of tile news that $140 mil- lion may go toward upgrading die fed- eral research facility to deal wid~ some passed a resolution slrongly protest- ing H~e proposal until tile following f-tow might the upgrade affect lite heahh and safety of town residents? What would the environmental impact be? How are these violent substances to be transported to Plum Island -- right down Route 48 in win- ,cry and pumpkin traffic? And how is everyone to be warned and evacuated from the East End'~n the event of ah outbreak? According to thc' supervisor, Congressman Mike Forbes (D- Ouogue) promised last week that before any action is taken by the fed- eral government, public hearings will take place in Southold. FIpS. oH. Eo RS To the Membership: We were delighted to learn that, for now, the Plum Island research- upgrade ($24 million) has not been included in the current Federal budget proposal. However, while the funding is "off the table" for the current year, it will be reconsidered at a future time, and consequently, should be monitored by us on an ongoing basis. (See Newspaper clippings) Phil Knauth has requested that FICA remind everyone about the Ferry dock construction work being done on the F.I. side. He asks that everyone be aware that they will encounter two-way traffic the moment that they drive off the ferry. Please drive and walk defensively. At the request of the Membership, we are endeavoring to put together a Community Calendar of Summer Events. If you have an event that you wish to list, please leave a message on the FICA office telephone. Please put the following dates on your calendar: Sat. April 29 p.m. - Drinks and Daffodils at the Armstrongs Sat. May 6 a.m. - Island Clean-Up Day Please pick up your garbage bags and assignments at the Post Office between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. If you are unable to work on that date, but wish to participate and work on another date, please telephone Mike Imbriglio or Charlie Stepanek for information. Fri. May 12 at 4:45 p.m. - Harbor Committee Meeting - F.I. Utility Office Sat. May 27 at 4:00 p.m. - FICA Quarterly Meeting - F.I. School Wed. July 12 to Sat. July 15 - OP Sail 2000 in New London The parade of tall ships into New London Harbor will be on the 12th. All public transportation in and out of the Harbor will be affected by this event. To date, there are 40 tall ships signed up. There are 9 ships that are 250 feet or longer. The largest ship is the 37'1 foot Esmerelda from Chile. The Amistad, launched on March 25 at Mystic Seaport, will be part of the fleet. Fireworks are scheduled for Sat. 'Or~ h¢ 15. Best Regards, Just Plum Nervous There's nothing usual about a visit to the animal disease research center By PAUL CHOINIERE Day Staff Writer Plum IM~ld, N.Y. D ATIONAL ~ASONING TOLD I~ me there was nothing to ~.' J~ '~-about my visit a week ago to the animal disease research facility located on this 800-acre island. Scientists at the center study the world's most deadly and contagious viruses that threaten farm animals. Every day researchers and support staff board a passenger ferry in Old Saybrook for the 40-minute trip to the island, located just off the east coast of Long Island where about 180 people are employed. In summer it is a pleasant journey, but in winter it can be a stomach-turning challenge to keep breakfast in its place as the beat rises and dives through heavy swells. As I rode on the ferry a bumpy ride, not as pleasant as a summer trip nor as mean as a win}er journey -- I felt assured ~ JACK SAUER/Ihe Day · Ad~ninistration building at the Plum Z~land Animal Disease Research Center by the "regulars" around me. Many were scientists, far more educated than I, who felt quite secure with the precautions used to protect their safety and the public's from the vh'ulent organisms within the center's laboratories. And, after all, no virus was deadly to humans, though some could make a person quite sick. Yet that emotional, irrational part of the mind, ti~e part that stimulates unease no matter how many times you get on an airplane, kept me wondering ff something could go wrong. A release form I was required to sign bolstered that irrational voice. I had to agree that "in the event of an emergency" I could be detained on Plum Island "pending accomplishment of necessary biological safety precautionary procedures." And for five days after leaving, I could not have contact with cattle, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, pet birds or domestic poultry for fear of infecting them. So with conflicting emotions, I journeyed to the island with a group of other journalists to learn more about what goes oil at the PI(un Island Animal Disease Center: I also wanted to learn why the U.S. Department of Agriculture feels it is necessary to begin studying even more See VISITORS page C2 Visitors to Plum Island research center can feel like strangers in a strange land dangerous viruses there ones that can kill animals and humans, a change that would require even greater security: fill Visiting the center was a unique ex perience. I have had to wear radiation detection devices while visiting nu- clear plants and taken special steriliza- tion precautions in a lab where human tissue was being grown, but nothing matched the precautions I found on Plum Island. Everyone is required to strip naked before entering the "biocontainment" area. I can't speak for the women, but the men's access point had all the priva- cy of a boy's high school locker room. Ail jewelry must also be removed. Once in the containment section indi- viduals are given underwear, socks, sneakers and heavy.gauge paper jump suits to wear. Before leaving containment, all those clothes are removed, the sneakers and underwear to be disiufected and the suits to be burned. Eyeglasses have to be dipped into a liquid disinfectant to make sure no organisms escape, as do cameras, meaning only waterproof · cameras could be used. Reporters had 40 leave their notebooks and pens be- _hind to be burned, but not before the · notes were faxed to the non-cantain- Before exiting containment we all · had to hack and spit, then blow our -noses, to remove any viral agents that r may have taken up residence in our mouths and noses. Hands were washed :-as if preparhig for surgery, including : scraping under f'mgernails, and a show- . er with at least a three-minute rinse -was mandated. Michael Kfley, an animal research safety officer, said such extraordinary iprecantious are needed because the es- cape of a virus could potentially devas- tate livestock and cause an agricultural economic crisis. The center studies diseases that _have long plagued farm animals and the people who care for them -- such as No sick animals are brought to Plum Island. They are only infected during the research work there. No animal leaves the Plum Island research center alive. foot and mouth disease, eradicated in this country since 1929, and African swine fevm: They also study "emerg- ing'' diseases such as vesicular stomati- tis, known to kill cattle, horses and oth- er hoofed animals, and which shows up periodically in the southwestern Unit- ed States. Vaccines are tested at the cente~: Vet- erinarians from this and other coun- tries are trained there to identify dis- eases. Products are developed to help test for diseases in animals imported into this country In the pursuit of this research, animals, largely pigs, are put posely infected and studied to deter mine how the diseases run their course and are spread from one animal to am other. About 250 animals are destroyed annually, mostly pigs but also cattle and sheep, according to acting director Lee Ann Thomas. No sick animals are brought to Plum Island. They are only infected during the research work there. No animal leaves the Plum Island research center alive. Carcasses are incinerated. Only once has a virus been known to have escaped outside containment. In 1978 two steers penned outside the facil- ity were diagnosed with foot and mouth disease. Inadequate maintenance and individuals moving about the center without taking the necessary precau- tions were cited as the source of viral escape. The incident resulted in several firings and changes in security, Thomas said. III With its stringent procedures and largely obscure work, Plum Island has long been the subject of rumors, chiefly that it is the site of biological warfare research· The reports always are de- nied by the agricultural department, which has operated the facility for 45 years. Thomas Sawicki, chief safety of- ricer at the center; cited factors that per- petuate the rumors: Tbe island was pre- viously a military outpost, it is strictly off limits to the general public and it largely avoids publicity He recalled the visit several years ago of a team of Russian scientists who were validating the nation's compli- ance with treaties prohibiting biologi cal weapons and research. Sawicki said the Russian visitors kept asking about secret underground bunkers. There are none. Sawicki said. Those who work on the island are well aware of its reputation and some- times joke about it. Carlos Santoyo, the assistant director, kidded with re- porters about the "alien research" con- ducted at the centex; a reference to some of the more outrageous rumors surrounding the work there. The comment resulted in a goodma- tured elbow to his ribs from the actb~g directm; Thomas, who told him "we're trying to stop those rnn~ors." In more serious moments the re- searchers said they were quite proud of the work they do and its importance, and are upset by speculation that some- thing sinister goes on there. In his laboratory Luis Rodriguez, a microbiologist, is trying to understand why vesicular stomatitis, a disease sim- ilar to foot and mouth,seems to show up in Culorado, New Mexico and Ari- zona on a roughly 10-year cycle. While it has not caused widespread animal deaths, its emergence does cause eco- nomic losses in the millions when farmers are unable to sell cattle and horse shows have to be cancelled until the threat passes. The disease is more prevalent in Mexico and Central America, and one theory is that the black flies and sand flies that transmit it are sometimes car- tied north by the wind patterns that ac- compauy the periodic appearance of E1 Nine in the Pacific Ocean, Rodriguez said. E1 Nine refers to abnormally high water temperatures that create major changes in weather patterns. Work on organisms such as vesicular stomatitis requires strict protocol. To prevent any viral organisms from es- caping, the research area is kept at neg- ative pressure, with pressure becoming gradually lower as you move toward the most contaminated section where the infected animals are kept. This means air is always flowing inward away from the outside world. Laboratory material is nmved from one place to another only in stainless steel boxes that are air- and water-tight and can be sterilized after each use. searchers like Rodriguez work at "biosafety cabinets." These cabinets have curtains of air that prevent any organisms from escaping into the re- search lab and instead captures them in highly sensitive filters. Airlock doors separate the labs from the corri- dors. Plum Island's 40 animal rooms have never had a cross-infection, meaning a virus escapes from one room to anoth er. All animal experiments follow a pro- tocol approved by the Institutional Ani- mal Care and Use Commiifee, which has members both from the Deal com- munity and scientific personnel. The committee approves use of animals for research only when computer models or cell cultures cannot be used· Ani- mals are killed by either lethal injec- tion or by firing a belt into the brain, a method of instant death commonly used in the livestock industry, said Jeff Babcock, animal care supervisor. · No items can be released from the re- search facility without being complete- ly sanitized. Fumigation with formaldehyde, bleaching, subjecting materials to extremely high tempera- tures and bombardment with high radi- ation are all methods to make sure no microorganism can survive, Sawicki said. Some of the procedures take 16 hours for an item to be released, he said· Items ranging from electric gener- ators to fluorescent bulbs must be treat- ed. Dn Alfonso Torres, deputy adminis trator fei' the USDA's Animal and Plant Health and Information Service, said even greater precautions will be needed if Plum Island researchers are to take on a new threat, the growth of so-called "zoonotic" viral agents that can kill both animals aml humans· Scientists have observed a growing number of such viruses. This year the Nipah Virus was discovered in Malaysia where it spread from pigs to farm work- ers. About i00 hnman deaths were at- tributed to tile outbreak that devastat ed that coantry's pig industry Plum lshmd would need the highest levelof security Biosecurity Level4 -- to handle viruses that are deadly to humans· Currently no animal research laboratory in the country has that des- ignation and there is only one in the world, located in Australia. Torres esti- mated the cost of constructien at $75 million. Reseurchers would have to be outfitted with "space suits" when deal- ing with these deadly viruses and im- proved animal containment facilities would be required, Torres said. With- out improved research facilities, the country cannot protect itself from these new threats, and respond ade- quately to them ff they happen, he said. Whether and where to create such a faciilty is now under discussion witbiu the department, and Plum Island is a leading candidate, Torres said. Wllda Martinez, director for the Agricultural Research Service in the Northeast region, said the department has no choice but to discuss the need for a Level 4 facility "Increased trade, increased interna- tional travel, and the recurring source of foreign diseases from natural reser- voirs in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, these are changes that are out ma neuvering our defensive line and leav- ing us vulnerable," Martinez said. Adding to the nation's vulnerability is the threat of biological terrorism. she said. Perhaps that little voice warning us about the risks of the work being done at Plum Island and what might happen if the research there becomes more dangeroas shoald really be warning us what might happen ff it does not. excnm~ge tor an aamlsslon oI gujg, t, Mr. l(usn is rolling me thee ,-3~. ~ and hoping that his day in co3~rf will go his way. It's a high- . stakes game for the defe$~dgnt, but in the long mn, the citizeds of Southampton Tow3-4'ill have a better chance of hearing all the evidence and, yr'6~ghing for themselves the'real merits of the case. In that rog/ard, it is they who are the winners. Float Away The U.S. Department of Agriculture still plans to keep its date in Southampton on Sunday afternoon, even though the t~ subject of the meeting the proposed "upgrade" of the P1.LI_I_I_I_I_I_I_I~_m Island Animal Disease Center to a Bio-Safety Level 4 fa~ility-- ap'~ars {o be a moot point, at least until next year. Or perhaps for longer. This week, U.S. Representative Michael P. Forbes was successful in his bid to eliminate $24 million in funding .from g~ the 2001 federal budget. That money was slated to pay for the upgrade and allow the center to begin research involving some - tc of the deadliest diseases affecting humans and animals. In part, . c the research would be designed to prepare a defense agalngt rr bio-terrorists by developing vaccines for deadly diseases, w At Level 3, Plum Island has been a quiet neighbor--we have. o: an idea what goes on across the water, but as long ns they are able to keep it to themselves, live and let live. Hannibal Letter might have been wary about swimming in the surf there in "Silence 6f the Lambs," but folks on the East End generally find "Anthrax Island," as he scornfully (and inaccurately) -labeled it, a neutral presence. · Dut at Level 4, the neighbors' activiti? go from dlsconcert- L}ing to downright terrifying. So close~ to such a huge popula- tion, a facility where supplies of toxins are held -substances targeted by terrorists exactly because they are terrifyingly lethal and contagions4efies common sense. And the'Department of -Agriculture's silly musings about prevailing winds are no com- fort: if there is a problem, most of the time it will blow out to . seais that really supposed to make us feel safer.'? Calls to completely shut down Plum Island are simple overreaction: there is no evidence that the work they are currently doing is a threat to either the North or South Forks, as nearly a half-century of operation attests. But while the Bio- safety Level 4 work on vaccines needs to be done, it should be done elsewhere. The upgrade of Plum Island is ill-conceived, and federal officials should let this Level 4 nonsense float out to sea on the prevailing winds. Subscribe Today The Southampton Press P14 Drawer 1207 Southampton, N.Y. 11969 Please send me The Southampton Press Eastern Edition r-i $32 in Suffolk County [~1 $40 Out-of-County If in-county subscription is changed to out-of-county subscription, expiration date will be reduced by two months. Name Address Town Zip L ~ -- -- Clip and Return with Payment THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS /FEBRUARY 10, 2000 Suffolk Closeup By Karl Grossman "Bio-torrerism" is the main reason, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ,says, for why it wants to have its Plum Island Animal Disease Center work on what Thc New York Times, which broke the story, described as ~some of the most dangerous diseases known to man or beast." If the Department of Agriculture gets its way, super-lethal diseases--all of which, D~ Lee Ann Thomas, diroc- tot of the Phim Island Animal Disease Center, acknowledged at a peblie meeting last week, have "no earas or vaeeines"--wouid be experimented with on an island a mile and a quarter off Long Island. If terrorism is the maha issue, Pldm Island is a thoroughly ridieuions place to proceed with such research. When the crash program to build atomic bombs, the Manhattan Pro- jeer, began at the start of World War II, U.S. officials arranged for all its fanillties to be placed inland spocifi- eally because of concern over coastal attark. Thus, its laboratories and plants were located in New Mexino (Los Alamas), Illinois (then at what was called the Metallurgical Labora- tory, now A~gorme), 'Tennessee (then called Clinton Laboratory, now Oak Ridge) and eastern Washington State (Hanfard). But the Department of Agriculture would have "the most dangerous dis- eases known to man or beast" re- searched on a little island right off the U.S. coast, which is thoroughly ex- posed. Long Islanders who take the Cross~ Sound Ferry to Connecticut need not be reminded about how exposed Plum Island--and its laborstaries--are. The ferries, indeed all watoreraft heading up or down Plum Gut, the channel be- twoen the North Fork and Plum Is- land, travel along Plum Island's coast and the laboratories that sit on its shores. The labs are right there--virtually in your face. If Plum Island becomes the site for research with super-lethal pathogens, a feared "bio-terrorist" would need not have to concoct a deadly biologi-- col potion overseas. All a terrorist would have to do is head to Plum Is- land on a day or night when the wind is blowing from the east--as it does regularly several months of the year-- and from the water do damage to a Plum Island laboratory. A landing would be easy. The U.S. mainland could be devastated, A terrorist attack on Plum Island is A Sitting Duck already a concern for the Department of Agriculture. The department's Emergency Preparedness Operational Plan for its Plum Island Animal Dis- ease Center includes a section on "Act of Sabotage, Taking of Hostages or Other Covert Act." The plan has provision for 'the Suf- folk County Puliee Department to ini- tiate response teams of peliee forces to be transported to Plum Island, ei- ther by the aviation section [which Ions--why the Department of Agricul- ture wants the research done on Plum Island is boeause, federal offietais say, if there's an outbreak in Ames, it could spread aeruss the nation, while the prevailing wind in this area is 'from the west and would blow the deadly disease pathogens over the At- lantic. Yes, that's the situation much of the year--but not this month and next, for example, when the winds routinely blow from the east off the If terrorism is an issue, plum Island is a ridiculous Choice. has all of three small helicopters] or coordinate movement via Plum Island Animal Disease Center marine equip- ment [two small ferries that dock in Orient]." If the research the Department of Agriculture wants to do on super- lethal pathogens has, in fact, to bo done, it should be conducted in a phys- ically unexposed area of tho nation: at the Department of Agriculture's other disease laboratory, in Ames, hiwa--in the middle of Iowa and 'the United States. That's what Congressman Michael Forbes is' urging. Congressman Forbes was able this week So get re- moved from the 2001 federal budget the Department of Agriculture's re- quest for $24 million for the first stage in what the Department of Agricul- ture calls an "upgrade" of its Plum Is- land facility to a Bio-Safety Level 4 category so it could do research on the highly lethal pathogens. The ,Department of Agriculture is making it clear, however, that it wili; bo back next year to get the money in the federal budget and go ahead with its plans. Ge Plum Island battle is far Another reasons-equally ridicu- ocean over Long Island and toward New York and the rest of the pepula- · lion center of the United States. Also, the location of John F. Kennedy International Airport on Long Island is cited by the depart- ment. Most of the pathogens would be flown to the United States on foreign carriers. The nearest major airport to Ames is in Des Moines. Yes, path- ogens eon be simply flown to Kennedy from overseas, but then how do.they get to Plum Island? On a vehicle hav- ing to traverse 100 miles of Long Is- land roads. Mr. Forbes, along with East End ac- tivists, especially Shelter island-based FIsh Unlimited and its' exeeulive di- rector, Bill Smith, have been keys in, for now, stopping the Plum Island scheme. Now we eon expect, as Mr. Forbes faces reelection, those with vested interests involving Plum Island joining those scientists at Breokhaven National Laboratary--stoaming bo- cause of Mr. Forbes's role in foreing the permanent sliutdown of what had been the largest nuclear reactor on Long Island, BNL's high flux beam re- actor--seeking to wrgak political re- venge on Mr. Forbes. The struggle eonthiuas. Plum Island upgrade shelved The U.S. Department of Agriculture's plans to expand Plum Island (N.Y.) research to include dis- eases deadly to humans has appar- ently been immunized for the time being by President Clinton's budget proposal as released on Feb. 7. The president's $1.8 trillion bud- get did not include funds for the research, upgrade, a $24 million USDA plan, which immediately drew a lot of concern and criticism from Connecticut's residents and its con- gressional representation. The island, which has been used for animal dis- ease research since the 1950s, is locat- ed within eight miles of the Connecticut shoreline. The next time such proposals could be considered is October 2001, when the fiscal 2002 budget is pre- pared. Isle Safety stressed, restressed tn tour for officials & media By Gwendolen Groocock A rough ferry trip to Plum Island, a short ride in a government-owned bus, and the terra-cotta-pink U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plum Island Animal Disease Center came into view. No strange miasma swirled darkly about its doors, and the flock of wild Canada geese on the lawn all ap- peared, at a glance, to have one head apiece. In the wide entrance hall, pho- tographs of livestock and notables hang on the walls. Acting Director Lee Ann Thomas, scientists and other specialists greeted the large media group that would overrun the research facility for the whole day Tuesday. Many commented that this sort of thing really should be done more often. "Top security doesn't mean top secret," said Wilda Maftinez, area director for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a branch of the USDA. Many news articles about the research center have been inaccurate, she said, especially now that the USDA is thinking of upgrading the center's capability to Biosecurity Level 4 (BSL-4). It's been years, though, since the island played host, and the silence has fed rumors about biological warfare research, strange fish in Plum Gut and secret government bases/UFO hangars in subterranean caverns. Recently, some towns have passed res- olutions demanding to be more informed, and Southold and Greenport officials took the tour on Monday. Before entering the labs, though, everyone was told to strip naked and proceed down a short hallway to sep- See Plum, page 34 The Suffolk Tirnes-~ November 18;. 1999, · ,~From page 1 arate men's and women's facilities and some friendly instruction, with the option of a towel wrap. Socks, underwear, crinkly white zip coveralls and neon-colored protective glasses were supplied, and for the next four hours, scientists and specialists showed off the extensive security measures used in the BSL-3 area. HEPA filters remove particles from the air day and night, and, as the pres- ence of viruses increases, from the labs to the animal pens, air pressure is lowered so a constant inward flow is maintained. Waste is incinerated, sprayed with disinfectant, and fu- migated with formaldehyde, com- pliments of Tom Sawicki, the island's safety officer. Precautions stricter now About 20 years ago, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease reached ani- mals penned out- ~l Call ,gO side. But back home at l, hen,said Dr. Keith Murray, night and director of the hug my country's largest kids. I research facility, the National know Animal Disease they're Center in Ames, safe.~ Iowa, basic pre- cautions like wear- --Dr. Luis ing rubber gloves Rodriguez were often not strictly implement- ed, in part because there was less understanding of how dangerous these diseases can be. In the labs, Dr. Luis Rodriguez showed how the bugs were handled in little plastic vials inside plastic con- tainers inside plastic jars, all in big biosafety cabinets. "It's not as though we're sloshing viruses around the place," he said. "It's like an onion, there are layers of safety procedures that are done out of habit." It's in the staff's own best interest to handle the infectious agents correctly and not let them escape, he explained. "1 can go home at night and hug my kids," he said. "1 know they're safe." Scientists at Plum Island study dis- eases like Foot and Mouth, African swine fever, and West Nile fever, which are categorized as BSL-3 as they usually cause only mild illness in healthy humans, or an effective vac- cine exists. They are highly deadly to Plum Island, looking east to west. The gap Is Plum Gut and beyond it, Orient Point. animals, though, and an outbreak could occur in our country at any time -- the recent Jamesport outbreak of West Nile is the first in the Western Hemisphere. Testament to success "We're trying to prevent these in- fections being introduced into the U.S. in the first place," said Dr. Murray. "The record here is so successful that most Americans don't understand that there are potentially devastating diseases not far from our shores." In 1997 Foot and Mouth destroyed the swine industry in Taiwan, causing a $6 billion loss. The repercussion? American corn farmers now sell $1.5 billion a year less feed to Taiwan. Agriculture is the U.S.'s largest indus- try, generating $198 billion a year, with 25 million people farming and raising about 785 million cows, poultry, pigs, sheep and horses. Plum Island maintains banks of Foot and Mouth vaccines for Ameri- can livestock, and reseamh continues. Rinderpest, swine cholera, hog cholera, menangle, the Hanta virus, African horse sickness and scrapie are all still problems somewhere in the world, and studied at the center. But only animal diseases that sometimes affect humans are studied -- no AIDS or ebola, or genetically-engineered mutant human-killers there, according to the scientists. This year in Malaysia, hundreds of thousands of pigs and 250 people were killed by the never-before-seen Nipah virus, considered a huge threat to the American swine industry. In Australia, an outbreak of the new Hendra virus killed horses and people, but was con- tained because Australia has a new BSL-4 lab and figured out how to stop it, said Dr. Murray. The main difference between BSL-3 and -4 is that in level 4 researchers around the infecfed animals wear "space suits" with separate air sup- plies. All BSL-3 precautions are also present, Dr. Murray explained. So why does the U.S. need BSL-4 capabilities? How bugs may travel Both Nipah and Hendra are level 4 bugs, and could arrive in the U.S. tomorrow, said the scientists. A travel- er could be infected, or a terrorist could attack the U.S. agricultural industry and cause more loss of life and damage than blowing up the World Trade Center. And currently, the U.S. can't study Nipah, Hendra, or any of the other 13 level 4 viruses be- cause it has no BSL-4 facilities to con- tain them. The military and the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga., can deal with BSL-4 viruses in small animals and humans, but not in a cow, horse, sheep or pig. "Bioterrorism would not be the most likely, but, yes, it's a possibility," said Dr. Mike Kiley, the ARS safety officer on Pluai Island. "We don't know what the capability is out there, but we've learned a lot from the Russian defectors about what they were working Most of the time, the scientists have no idea why a virus appears where it does. "If you asked me last year, I would never have chosen West Nile as one of the top 10 to study," said research sci- entist Juan Lubroth. "It shows how unpredictable outbreaks are." Plum Island is studying three horses infected with West Nile fever. The dis- ease also infects birds and mosquitoes, but is rarely fatal in humans. Plum Island at BSL-4 would also study Nipah and Hendra and whatever else comes along. "No one is sure why, but we're encountering more and more of these new diseases," said Dr. Murray. "Believe me, it's absolutely essential that we figure out how these viruses are spreading." Nice tour; no go Plum Island visit doesn't convince environmentalists B~v Gwendolen Groocock Very impressive, said environ- mentalists who toured the Plum Is- land Animal Disease Center located just off Orient Point on Tuesday, but we still don't want you here. Fish Unlimited, a Sag Harbor group (CONPOSH) and the North Fork Environmental Council were unswayed in their unanimous opinion that an upgrade to Biosafety Level-4 to research even nastier bugs at the high-security facility, should- n't be allowed as it's too close to millions of Long Islanders. "It was fasci- nating; I was surprised they were so open with us," said Fish Unlimited's Bill Smith. "but I'm still not convinced that Plum Island is the place for a Biosafety Level-4 lab. I understand that kind of research probably needs to be done, hut mis- takes happen, and it's just the wrong place." Debbie O'Kane, speaking for the NFEC, agreed. "I'm glad I took the tour, and I was impressed with what goes on there," she said. "I was comfortable with their safety procedures, and how they han- dled things under normal circum- stances. But if there was an outbreak, we can't be evacuated, and I can't imagine what it would be like if the East End were qu~trantined.' The U.S. Department of Agricul- · ture, which runs Plum Island, is con- sidering upgrading it from a BSL-3 lab, dealing with zoonotic animal dis- eases that are only mildly infectious to humans or can be prevented by vac- cine, to BSL-4, allowing research, on animal diseases that pose a greater threat to humans. Officials stress that Plum Island would not; as has been re- ported elsewhere, be dealing with human diseases like Ebola. Those are dealt with in other locations around the country, including at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga. Weather consequences "I understand that what they would put in place to upgrade to level four would protect the technicians and sci- entists, with the space suits and the air supply," said NFEC board member and Orient resident Thor Hansen. "But that wouldn't change much for the neighbors." In light of Plum Island being in the path of hurricanes, Mr. Hansen said he was uncomfortable that no one seemed to know what wind speeds the water tower, which supplies water pressure, and the backup generator's See Plum, page 27 m.-From page 25 stacks could handle. Could PIm Island lose water and electric in aba storm, and what would happen I their safety systems then, he wants ~ know. On the environmental front, bo~ Fish Unlimited and the NFEC wou like more information on what oth, spills and contamination problen there might be. Some lined wast water lagoons on the island are knov to contain carcinogenic PCBs, and remediation program is under wt But the liner looks in bad shape, sa Mr. Smith, and he's heard there m be PCBs in the area where the fez boats dock. On a separate issue, the facili wants to increase its heated wasl water discharge levels from 60,000 85,000 gallons a day, and Mr. Smith concerned for the ecosystem of t Peconic Bay. JACK SAUER / The Day These pigs in the animal containment area i, Building 101 on Plum lshmd n'ill he used./bt disease research. the 3mall oue abore to rooms that can at'rolnlnod~llc 24 cou,s. [iPlum Island lead candidate for upgrade I to more dangerous research on diseases doned as a military facility The public will get an opportunity to question the pt~actices on Plum Is- land and the plans for its future ;when the USDA hosts an informa- ~tional meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at ~the OsWegatchie Elementary School ~ Waterford. The federally owned is- ~hnd is located only a few miles from · the Connecticut coast and less than a ,mdc from Long Island. .~, While it has not made a formal re- ,~luest to Congress, the Agmculture · 'Department is discussing the need ;t'or a Level 4 facility for animal re- iearch, officials said. Because ani- mal research is done there, Plum Is- · ~and is the lead carididate for such a ~.'a~ility, said Dr. Alfonso Torres, the ':deputy adminislrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the USDA. He estimated construc- · ,tion costs at about $75 million. · 1 Level 4 research is conducted at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga;; but that work focuses ~n fatal contagiq/us illnesses that [hreaten hilmap/g! q~h~re is no such facilitY' dedicated to Imimal research~ i~laid Murray,, Unt~ recently, Murray ~r{red ag dtrectot- of the only such I~acility in the world~ located in Gee- .~fong, Australia. It opohed in 1986. ;~ Murray said recent history shows · fhe need for a Level 4 animal re- ,$earch facility: · · in 1971 there was a large epidem- : of Venezuelan equine encephalitis leross much of' the southern U.S. ~lormally circulated in wild birds ind mosquitoes, the illness in 1971 i~piiled over into humans. Thousands f people were infected and about $0 ted. Spraying and the use of vac- ines halted the spread. · In the early 1990s, a new disease, lendra virus, was discovered in Aus- ofralia and Was found to be lethal in · ]}oth horses and humans. The virus · ,Fas quiek!y controlled before it .]spread. · Recently, West Nile Virus was found in New York and Connecticut. Again, a virus common in birds and mosquitoes affected humans and oth- er animals. Eight human deaths were linked to the outbreak, said Lee Ann Thomas, acting director the re- 'search centeE · This year a new virus the Ni- pah Virus -- was discovered in Malaysia where it spread from pigs to farm workers. About 100 deaths were attributed to the outbreak, and JACK KAUER / The Day · D~: Michael Kiley, animal research safety officer at Plum Island, explains to reporters on Tuesday the bnportance of hav#lg a large-anhnal "Biosecurity Level 4"facility in the United States. the country's pig industry was seri- ously damaged. Murray said scientists have no ex- planation why such outbreaks are becoming more common. Without a proper research facility to investi- gate them, the country is vulnerable, he said. "Nipah Virus is a very serious po- tential threat to the U.S. swine indus- trlg Its introduction would devastate the industry More importantly ... in- fected swine would be a dangerous source of infection for the general public as well as those workiug in the swine industry," Murray said. "Yet despite the dangers posed by Nipah and Hendra virus ... the USDA can- not do research on these viruses. We have no programs to develop diag- nostic tests ... to ensure that these viruses are not accidentally bronght into the U.S." Murray said the iucrease to Level 4 would not be to protect the pablic, but provide greater protection for workers. Scientists wouhl bare to wear "space suits" when dealing with these deadly viruses. Better fa- cilities would be needed to handle large animals purposely infected for research purposes. During the mast current fiscal year, euding Sept. 30, about 250 pigs were destroyed during Phun Island research, as well as several cattle and sheep, Thomas said. All animals used in research on tim island are de- stroyed and tbeir carcasses inciner- ated. Reporters taken on a tour Tuesday were showu the extensive measures already taken to ensure no virus es- capes fronl the re~earcb laboratories. Research facilities are kept under negative pressure, with tbe lowest pressure kmlld ill the area of higbest contamination the 40 ani~nal con- tainment rooms. They range from tbe size of a large cio§et to a 1,000- square4oot room capable of han- dling two dozen cattle, said Jeff Bab- cock, animal care supervisor The negative pressure feature means no microorganism can flow out of the room, but instead is sucked inward to remain in contain- ment. Highly sensitive filters are used to capture any particles that are vented to or from the building. Items are only released from the research center after being sanitized and tested to make sure no living or- ganism remains, said Thomas Sawic- ti, safety officer for the facilltg Viral samples shipped to and from the fa- cility are packed in highdmpact ship- ping crates and packed with an or- ganism that would kill the virus should there be a breach in the con- tainen All visitors to the high-security ar- eas must remove all jewelry, com- pletely strip and don underwear, jumpsuits and' sneakers provided by operators. Upon[l~aving. the jump- suits and clothing are discarded; the suits to be burneB and the clothing disinfected. All visitors must shower extensively before leaving, making sure to scrape under their nails, blow their noses and spit to make sure they carry no microorganisms out with them, Eyeglasses must be dipped in disinfectant before exiting containment. Despite these precautions, visitors also agree to avoid for five days any contact with cattle, sheep, goats, ilee~; pigs, pet birds, domestic poultry and i:annot visit during that time farals, zoos and pet stores. Each year a hunt is conducted to kill auy deer that have managed to swim to the island and breed there. Last year about a dozen were found and killed, Sawicki said. Disease center upgrades focus of public meeting · IN BRIEF: A public meeting about island currently study diseases that are potentially entists working with more dangerous pathogens would the scientific activities of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center will take place Thursday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Oswegatchie Elementary School located at 470 Boston Post Road in Waterford. By Steven Scarpa Staff Writer In an effort to quell the concerns of the residents of the New York and the Connecticut shoreline, govern- ment officials have scheduled public meetings in both locations to discuss any potential upgrade to the test- ing facilities on Plum Island. The Connecticut meeting will take place Thursday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Oswegatchie Elementary School located at 470 Boston Post Road in Waterford. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering asking for $75 million this year and $140 million over the next two years to study even more dangerous diseases on the island that is located less than 10 miles from New Londom Scientists on the lethal to animals. An upgrade would mean scientists would begin studying animal diseases that can be lethal to humans. The increased expenditure is a result of increased concern about biological terrorism to American food supplies. U.S. Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-2) and U.S. Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman wrote a let- ter to the Secretary of the USDA Dan Glickman regarding the proposal to increase the level of biohaz- ards being studied on Plum Island. The letter asked that more information be provided so that the lawmak- ers could determine the threat, if any, to their con- stituents. Currently, the facility, located off Orient Point at the end of the north fork of Long Island, is graded agri- cultural Biosafety Level Three. This means the con- tainment areas, which hold viruses dangerous to ani- mals, have filtered air, sealed doors and negative air pressure to prevent germs from leaking. Level Three security is geared to prevent the escape of microor- ganisms into the environment. Scientists on Plum Island currently study screw worms, foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever Although Plum Island officials say them has never been any serious leak of pathogens into the air, in 1978 there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on the island. An increase to Biosafety Level Four means that sci- wear decontmninated suits and breathe only purified air Measures are taken to prevent, not only outside contamination, but also contact between microorgan- isms and lab personnel. Level Four means the diseases studied are potentially lethal to humans. Sandy Miller Hays, director of information for the Agricultural Research Service, had this to say about recent articles on Plum Island - "some are accurate and some are not." The Nov. 18 meeting, she said, will be an effort to remedy that. '°There has been a lot of press lately about Plum Island about what goes on there and what the plans are for the future. This (the meeting) is primarily to answer people's questions," said Miller Hays. There will be presentations from USDA scientisks as well as outside experts. Ongoing programs at the island and safety procedures will be among the sub- jects discussed. Miller Hays confirmed renovations to the facility are an "ongoing program" but said that any upgrade in Biosafety Level is a "great big, fat if." She said that if upgrades were made, Plum Island is just one of many facilities throughout the nation that could potentially be under consideration. "(The proposed upgrade) is all very speculative. The USDA is a long, long way from making any kind of decision,': said M~iller Hays. ~ : .; ~ ,i ~ Of PILOTs & Plum Island Should USDA center supply $$$ in lieu of $1.6M in property taxes? By Gwendolen Groocock Thc supc[~isor said she go{ tlw idea Plum Island could be become Southold Town's golden goose, ii' town officials get their way. The 840-acre research island, just nff the tip of Orient Point, is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to Town Assessor Scott Russell, it has a fair market value of $109 million, and if not for its federal tax-exempt status, the island would generate over $1.6 million in proper- ty taxes each year. Now Southold is figuring out if it can get its hands on some of that money. If it's successful, the town could rake in annually as much as $439,587, the solid waste district $35.770 and the county just under 582~000. The Orient fire. park and musquito districts could receive just over $209,0(10, with the lire disnict getting the lion's share, about $178.368. Thc biggest nest egg, however, as much as $773,450, could go to thc Oysterponds School District. "Eight hundred acres is a lot pro- portionally for Southold," said Sn- pervisor Jean Cochran, who, after running the idea by Congressman Mike Forbes (D-Quoguc), sent let- ters to President Bill Clinton, Secre tary nl Agriculture Dan Glickman and Floyd Horn, director of agricul- tural research. ~'ll's only fair that we he colupcnsalcd," that the USDA can bu conxinccd to lily such shiny eggs upon leaguing that thc 'lown of Brnokha~cn no~ gets PILOT menu) Item thc Departmcnl of Encrg5 [u~ Brookhaven National Lab. PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, compensates for property nol on the lax rolls. State and federal agencies that o~n huge chunks of land, but don't ha~e to pay regular prnpcrty taxes, these to top up the depleted of municipalities that inight other wise dry up and blow awa5. In September, Frank Crcsccnzo. manager of BNL's on-site DOE et- rice, handed Brookhaven To~n a check for $890,000. Such payments have been possible since the late 1940s, when tt~c DOE passed thc Atomic Energy Act. In thc ]vt>i)b thc DOE buught ahont ~.n00 ac~cs land next to BNL., i.20t~ oI which now generating ibc PILOt' ~e payment is discrctionars, though, said Mr. Crcscenzo, and will onl5 given to Brookhaven qk)~n if Congress appropriates it. Furthermore. the value of propc: is negotiated, he explained, so ~'~ unlikely that a texan's lair value figure would bc thc one used n basis for PILOT. Southold's rcquc>i tt~ thc announced pt>-~ibic upgrade plans for thc research facility, which han- dles infectious agents from around thc ~odd Thc upgrade would allow cla>sificd as -biolcvel 4." Town offi- cials have passed resolutions object- ~n¢.~o thc plan. cnmplaining that Stfuthold is complctcl} left out of the decision-making loop. The supervisor ~aid thc PILOT request isn't connect- cd tu objecuons to the upgrade. If Southold can transform Plum Island into the aforementioned goose, it will be a first for the USDA. "I'herc arc over a dozen depart- taunts within the USDA, and some payments are made by the Forest Sc~vtcc on vast properties in the Pa- cific Northwest," said Mike Young of the USDA's budget office in Wash- ingtnn. "Beyond lhat, I'm not aware of any compensations made by any otl~cr USI)A agency." 'lite NEVV Yt)lql( 'I IMI~,% [~-'~[~0 FNII)A Y, NOVF_MIH.t~' 19, 199~ R EG 10~4 Plan to Import New Viruses Draws Concern Research Center Off Long Island WouM Study Emerging Strains RIVERHEAD, NY., Nov. 18 Stressing safety and trying to de- bunk a cloak-andelagger image they said was undeserved, officials of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center turned to the public Wednesday night to seek support [or an expansion that would allow top-security research on viruses that are deadly to animals and humans. But the reaction was mixed at the public meeting in Greenport, a com- munity on the North Fork of Long Island that is about 10 miles from the offshore center, and where many of the center's 180 employees live. About 200 residents, including lab employees, attended the meeting, the first of several to be held in coming months, including one scheduled for Thursday night in Waterford, Conn., about 10 miles north of Plum Island. The proposed addition would re- quire Congressional approval and, if approved, might not be in place fqr several years. At Wednesday's meeting, in an Americam Legion hall, a question- and-answer period continued beyond the time laboratory officials had al- lotted, as some residents and local officials questioned the wisdom of imporung lethal and highly coma- g~ous animal viruses to an island one mile off the eastern tip of densely populated Long Island and less than 100 miles east of Manhattan "If one of these things ge~ out, it wdI make West Nile virus seem like child's play," said Anne Kristiansen, a residen{ of Hunting~on Stale Assemblywoman Pallicia L. Plum Island is one mile from the eastern tip of Long Island. for us to bo prepared to combat bioterrorism The central issue here is whether Plum Island is the appro- priate location to handle some of the most dangerous germs that are known to man." But David E Kapell, the mayor of Greenport, said a tour of the labora- tory that he and other officials took on Monday had reassured him. "I can undersland people's fear, but on the other hand, Plum Island has been there 50 years and there have been no incidents," he said those needed at the higher classifica- tion. The change would allow the center to study foreign viruses, including newly emerging and previously known strains, that could pose a po- tentially catastrophic threat to hu- mans and animals if they were intro- duced into domestic animal stocks. The Clinton administration has ex pressed fears about a growing threat of biological terrorism, which could introduce into animals viruses for which there is no known cure; the viruses could then pass on to hu- mans. But members of a panel of high-ranking laboratory and agricul- tural department officials at the hearing played down the threat of bioterrorism, saying the BL4 lab would be used primarily to 4nhamce the lab's mission of protecting the country's $90 billion livestock indus- try against foreign viruses. Those officials said there had been no final decision where to put the BL4 lab, but they left no question that Plum Island was in the lead. "Ti~ere really is no short list of Officials in the agriculture department played down threats of blote~r orism when discussing changes at the research cente~ on Plum Island recently. at Kennedy International Airport m small vials within larger vials, pack- aged in plastic-lin¢<i cardboard con- tainers that, Dr. Kiley said, could withstand an airline crash Couriers transport the packages by (m on the Long Island Expressway and other roads to O~ient Point, where {hey are laken by boat to the island Sandy M Hays, lhedbetlm of ihe Agricullmal Research Service mfor~ manding lhat the Suffolk County Health Services Department be al- Island ha~calledonthefederalgov- a potential site for the BL4 lab Thomas W Sparkman, lhe Firsl alternatives," said Wilda Martinez, the area director for the Agricultural Research Service The officials said that the island had advantages over other possible sites because it already had a BL3 center and the scientific staff to study foreign amimal diseases. "You have to take into account where the good scientists are," said D~ Michael Kiley, the Animal Re~ search Service safety offJce~ al Plum Island Di Kiley said ~m upgIading of the Plum Is. dot com B~y Gwendolen Groocock Once cloaked in mystery, Plum Island has stepped into the virtual light with a new website, launched on Monday at www. ars.usda.gov/plum. "The Agricultural Research Service posted the website so the public can learn more about Plum Island's Animal Disease Center," said Sean Adams, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oprates the island research facility a mile off Orient Point. "It's the kind of facility that really lends itself well to a virtual tour, because it's not easy to visit. The website is pretty unique in that it's very detailed, but at the [Agricultural Research Service] site, we also have information on other research locations, an image gallery, news, and stuff for kids." The Plum Island site contains pages with information on the island's mili- tary and research history, and the cen- ter's research mission and scientific accomplishments. It also explains the safety measures practiced at the biocontainment labs in which virulent animal diseases from all over the world are studied. Plum Island's labs specialize in deal- ing with diseases of large animals, with an eye to protecting the nation's $90 billion livestock industries against foreign diseases like African Swine Fever. In the past year, the USDA has stepped up efforts to get federal funding to upgrade the research labs to biosafety level 4, but failed to get $24 million specifically for the upgrade in this year's federal budget. Revamped for about $60 million in the early 1990s, the labs now deal with biosafety level 3 viruses. These are deadly to animals, but are not consid- ered a signficiant threat to humans, or for which human vaccines are effective. Level 4 bugs also can be lethal to man, with no vaccines yet formulated. If Plum Island is to become the country's first level 4 animal lab, more stringent biosafety measures must be installed, such as separate air supply "space suits" for scientists. Once criticized for fostering a se- cretive and unwelcoming air, which has given rise to all manner of specu- lation and rumors, Plum Island has taken steps to "open its doors" in recent months. First there was a round of tours for public officials and the media, and now the website. Plum Island's new director, Dr. David Huxsoll, head of pathobiology at Louisiana State University, is await- ing confirmation. Some critics, like the North Fork Environmental Council and some for- mer Plum Island employees, say that the recent public relations effort is all very well, but serious safety concerns still exist on the island at level 3, and should be addressed before any upgrade to level 4 is contemplated. Plum Island upgrade shelved The U.S. Department of Agriculture's plans to expand Plum Island (N.Y.) research to include dis- eases deadly to humans has appar- ently been immunized for the time being by President Clinton's budget proposal as released on Feb. 7. The president's $1.8 trillion bud- get did not include funds for the research-upgrade, a $24 million USDA plan, which immediately drew a lot of concern and criticism from Connecticut's residents and its con- gressional representation. The island, which has been used for animal dis- ease research since the 1950s, is locat- ed within eight miles of the Connecticut shoreline. The next time such proposals could be considered is October 2001, when the fiscal 2002 budget is pre- pared. r FRIDAY~ NOVEMBER 19, lg99, NEW LONDO~ Plum Island is'safe, local residents told Biological warfare research not part of program, officials say By GEORGINA GUSTIN Day Staff Writer Waterford -- Dozens of worried residents attended a meeting Thurs- day night as officials fi.om the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture gathered to explain the mission of the Plum Is- land Animal Disease Center and as- suage any safety concerns that resi- dents of southeastern Connecticut may have about the 45-yeur-old cente~ The center, one of the pre-eminent facilities of its kind in the world and the only one in the country that con- ducts research on animal diseases that originated in foreign countries, is being considered by the USDA as a candidate for an increased biosafety level· The increase from the center's current biosafety level 3 to a biosafety level 4 would mean that even more dangerous animal bacteria and virus- es could b~ studied at the center, which is located several miles off the shoreline in Long Island Sound. The center has long been the sub- ject of myth and speculation, includ- ing the idea that Lyme disease was generated by its engineers and that the Department of Defense conducts, research on biological weapons there. Many residbnts feel officials from the USDA and Plum Island have been reti- cent about the facility's operations and object!yes. But officials from the center and the UsDA .told the approximately 60 people a~: the Oswegatchie School that the facility:is strictly devoted to re- seai:chirig animal viruse~ that could severely:impact the coUntry's agricul- tural econo .mg. iThey emphasized that no ~tolOgi~.a~ ~warfare research has beerf ~nducted on thb island. · According to th~ USDA, agricul- ~ See PLUM ISLAND page AB Plum Island doing research only on animal viruses, residents told at hearing ture is the country's largest industry, producing $198 billion in cash re- ceipts, $93.4 billion from the animal sector. If a virus were to affect live- stock, it could have a potentially cat- astrophic effect on the national and global economies. "Most of you are aware of the flur- ry of articles about Plum Island be- ginning with the Sept. 22 New York Times article suggesting that the Agriculture Department was seek- lng to turn Plum Island into a 'top se- curity laboratory,' "said Wilda Mar- tinez, the area director for the Agri- cultural Research Service, a division of the agriculture department. "Top security does not mean 'top secret.' "Yes, we are discussing the need for Biosecurity level 4 facilities," Martinez added. "We can't afford not to. For there are new, emerging dis- eases like Nipah viruses that affect both animal and man. To adequately evaluate the impact of these diseases on U.S. animal populations, to devise rapid detection procedures and to de- velop means of control, we must have (biosafety level 4) facilities. There are no Caiosafety level 4) facili- ties in the U.S. capable of conducting the required large animal studies. With such capability we can ensure the security of the animal industry and public health." R Keith Murray, director of the USDA's National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, a facility that researches animal diseases that are native to the United States, empha- sized the excellent safety record of Plum Island and the collective exper- tise of the scientists who conduct re- search there. "It is one of the most important (biosafety level 3) facilities in the world," said Murraz "There has been very substantial investment to upgrade facilities, support services and safety features over the past decade. There is an autstanding safe- ty record. And there is a cadre of sci- entific staff that is unrivaled inter nationally in foreign animal disease research. No other site in the U.S. du- plicates Plum." Several residents in attendance, however, were skeptical about Plum Island's safety record and asked where they could locate documenta- tion that supported it. Officials quickly noted that all of the records are on file and can be accessed by any member of the public. Other residents expressed concern about the center's ability to prevent leaks of deadly viruses. "No matter what precautions are taken, accidents happen." said David Keppel of Essex. a member of a group called the Council for Respon- sible Genetics based in Cambridge, Mass. Keppel. and others, also expressed their concern that the center could be interpreted by other countrms as a biological wart'are research center and could "stimulate an ~nternation al biological arms race.' To this, Roger Breeze. the ~iirector of Plum Island from 1987 t3 1995. said. "The U.S. does not have a bio- logical wurthre program. Period." LETTERS TO THE DAY Viruses have little loyalty To the Editor of The Day: As one who attended the Nov. 18 hearing by the Unit- ed States Department of Agriculture on possible plans to make Plum Island a highest-hazard BSL-4 germ re search facility, I found the USDA's reassurances far from reassuring (The Da>; No,z 19). The USDA officials glossed oven but did not truly an- swer, very serious safety issues for this community The Day's headline reads "Plum Island doing research only on animal viruses.' But, as even Dn Keith Murray USDA's top safety expert admitted, the reason for the upgraded facility is to allow work with diseases that are deadly to both animals and humans.By definition, these diseases are dangerous to us. Can maximum security measures make such a facili- ty safe when it is only a few miles from our shore? Even multiple barriers in the quest to build a "Mag[not Line" may be futile. In August 1994, a researcher at Yale Uni- versity's distinguished Arborvirus Research Unit be- came seriously ill with infectious sa[ua virus after a lab- oratory accident. But he failed to reco~,mize the danger for several days afterthe incident and went to Boston for the weekend, where he exposed others. This community knows from Millstone that the best- laid safety plans often go wrong: mechanical error, hu- man error and sometimes cover-up sooner or later de- feat the barriers. Nor was I convinced that the facility is unrelated to biological warfare. Dn Murray admitted that Plum Is- land had worked with the Defense Department in the past. If Plum Island becomes, as proposed, the o~ily BSb 4 facility in North America for human-animal diseases, it is hard to think the military will be uninterested. In- deed, a citizen might be excused for thinking that USDA management of Plarn Island was, in part, cover. You quote Dn Roger Breeze, former director of Plum Island, as saying "The United States does not have a bio- logical warfare program. Period." If not, it is puzzling why the Biological Defense Research Progran~ had to is- sue a three-inch thick environmental impact statement or why President Clinton plans to spend $2.8 billion on the subject. I heard Dn Breeze say "The United States does not have an offensive biological weapons program." There's the catch. To a lay person "merely defensive" sounds reasonable and reassuring. But germs are not llke famil- iar weapons that take years to build. They breed fast. ff we collect extremely rare strains of exotic disease or create new strains through genetic engineering -- and develop vaccines for them, it is potentially offensive, a sword shield pair. Other nations will not be soothed by our pure words or thoughts, and may take it as a license to develop pro- grams of their own. (A key issue here is secrecy Again, the legalistic wording of comments at the hearing was far less "open" than your report indicates.) Area officials may wish to take the guided tour, with milk and cookies, which the 12SDA kindly offered. But soothing words and guided tours cannot erase hard questions for this community and the nation. David Keppel Essex Among friends Mayor finds gaggle of Greenporters in tour of Plum Island By Tim Wacker GREENPORT--With ail the press Plum Island is getting lately, Mayor Dave Kapell decided to weigh in on the matter after taking a tour of the facility recently. The federal animal disease research lab on the island could use a few more friends on the VILLAGE HALL NOTES North Fork, so managers have opened the doors for tours the past ;-" few days. What Mr. Kapell found is that the federal facility is run by down-home people, and that's as strong an argument as he needed to lend his unqualified support. "I've got to say that in my path through the lab I had to stop every few minutes and say hello to someone who comes from Greenport," Mayor Kapell said at last Thursday's Village Board work session. "They're all our neighbors who run the place." Plum Island has been of particular interest lately with the announcement of plans to upgrade it to handle the most infectious of diseases, But that doesn't concern the workers there, said Mr. Kapell, who added that was reassuring to him. "They would be the first to be af- fected,'' said the mayor. "This type of economic opportunity is vital. What more can you ask for than a high-tech lab on Plum Island that you won't ever see except by boat." 7Pium Island considering a higher level of research,, JACK SAUER/The Oay · Luis Rodriguez, a microbiologist at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, uses a powerful microscope to view a virus specimen. Officials say country ill-prepared to deal with new diseases By PAUL C}IOINIERE Day Staff Wri er Plum Island, N.Y. -- After years of saying little about what they do, offi- cials at the animal disease research fa- cility on this tiny island are on a cam* palgu to reassure the public of its safe- ty and make the argument about the need for even more dangerous research there. Scientists are becoming increasingly sponse to pul aware of viruses that are a threat to partment of both animals and people, yet the coun- ares the rese try is ill-equipped to study this new becomings" public health danger, said E Keith Mur* ty The highe ray, director the National Animal Dis- low highly ct ease Center in Ames, Iowa. To properly be deadly to evaluate these new diseases will re- mats, to be in quire an animal-research facility with Animal illnc a higher level of security, Murray said. are not the s Murray made his comments Tues- Shrouded day to a group of journalists invited to the public, tl tour the Plum Island Animal Disease been rumorc Canter The visits came one day after cai warfare the research center hosted local gov- strongly de~ ernment officials,from towns in south- Animal rese eastern Connecrleut and Long Island. there since The sudden openness has come in re- :