Environmentalists unhappy with report on Plum Island sale
SOUTHOLD, N.Y. — Environmentalists are skewering a new report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the sale of Plum Island.
The 44-page report released Monday examines various options for the 840-acre property off eastern Long Island that is home to federal animal disease research laboratory. It makes no recommendations, however, on whether a proposed sale should proceed.
The laboratory, opened in the 1950s, is moving to Kansas by the end of 2022.
Lawmakers in New York and Connecticut have sponsored legislation seeking to halt the sale.
John Turner of the Preserve Plum Island Coalition says the report is "incomplete and lacks meaningful data."
Leah Schmalz of Save the Sound says the report has "fallen short when it comes to identifying options for protecting Plum Island."
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment.
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