Plum Island: "Even More Dangerous" VVH-TV News Special Report (Pt. 2)
Department of Homeland Security is seriously considering approving a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility on Plum Island in Eastern Long Island, NY.
The facility would operate at what the government defines as BioSafety Level-4, which is the highest level of danger for biological research.
The government defines BioSafety Level-4 as research involving "pathogens that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease in animals and humans through the aerosol route and for which there is no known vaccine or therapy."
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center operates at BioSafety Level-3 -- only doing research on animal diseases.
There are five other possible sites for the new facility.
But the Department of Homeland Security, whose project this is -- and which also now manages Plum Island -- is bullish on Plum Island for it because the other locations on the U.S. mainland all have lots of livestock nearby and Plum Island doesn't.
But, on the other hand, Plum Island is off the Boston-to-New York population center of the United States -- with lots of people.
And BioSafety Level 4, importantly, involves life-threatening diseases for animals and people, and to top that off, for which there is no known vaccine or therapy.
A public hearing was held in Greenport by the Department of Homeland Security on having the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility sited on Plum Island. VVH-TV Chief Investigative Report Karl Grossman was on hand to give us an up close look at both sides of this very serious issue.
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