Reader comments
Lab relocation could boost risk of outbreaks in livestock

If it ain't broke, why the heck fix it. Or do we just need to waste more taxpayers' money--and reward some legislators with a bit of pork?

Look, government safety standards to protect the people comes first, weather it's Homeland Security or other's, if there was a leak from a outbreak of one of the most contagious animal diseases from any of five locations from a lab, and it got into the air, or ground or water it would be even more would be more devastating to the U.S. and it's people and than the economy, this outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease can be kept under control in a new high-security research laboratory, I as a Republican feel the construction of a new research lab should be on Plum Island. I don't care how much PORK waste the administration spent and considerable time and money scouting new locations and because of financial concerns about operating from a location accessible only by ferry or helicopter. GIT-R-DONE!.

Ok. so it COULD be disastrous IF it somehow leaked out of the facility and spread to animals in the area. So there's the $$$$ we MIGHT have to spend.

On the other hand, if it is moved to a convenient mainland location, how much $$ WILL be saved EACH YEAR in fuel and transportation costs?

Such a good example of how media reporting prejudices us towards certain decisions. If they were reporting this story as saving so much money by moving to a mainland location (and a little line about the possiblity of an outbreak equivalent to the line about ferry and air transport costs) then y'all would be upset about the fact that some people want to keep them there on Plum Island.

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