Germs not very popular
Grand Forks' bid for the germ research center, known formally as the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, is not the only one to face protests.
In Pulaski County, Ky., people living near the proposed lab site has gathered about 3,000 signatures protesting. The AP quotes farmer David Taylor: ""They made a big splash with all the positives and left all the negatives out. We feel like it would be a target for terrorists."
In Grand Forks, the protests are limited to the proposed site, which would destroy a portion of some pristine native grasslands, not the lab itself. Protesters, many of whom happen to be scientists, say they haven't got anything against the germ lab.
In Anniston, Ala., local government support lacked enthusiasm. The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., reports that Mayor Hoyt "Chip" Howell, Jr., had written a "lukewarm" letter of support that said the city would welcome a germ lab if the feds can guarantee it would be safe.
"We need an education process," he said. "This was thrust on the community with only a couple of days' notice."
UND's research office said it has the support of city officials, the state and the government of Canada, which has its own germ lab in Winnipeg. Some City Council members say they like the germ lab but the city itself has not sent a formal letter of support.
FYI: Here's where UND's proposed site is. UND owns the western half of the dun colored section immediately south of the railroad tracks and west of the green blurry section of the map. See the little dot on the central-western border of the section? That's UND's existing observatory. Go east to the eastern border of UND's property -- roughly in the middle of the section -- and that's where the germ lab would be built.
In the southwest corner of the section you'll see a discolored squiggly thing. That's an old landfill. The entire section to the south is owned by UND. You'll notice a faint line going somewhat northwest through the middle. UND's facility director said there's a high-pressure petroleum pipeline buried beneath the section. This looks like it.
Update 6:25 p.m.: Retired biology professor Robert Seabloom, who is one of the opponents of the proposed lab site, said that, though some of the disturbances mentioned above exist, most of the prairie there is pristine.
In Pulaski County, Ky., people living near the proposed lab site has gathered about 3,000 signatures protesting. The AP quotes farmer David Taylor: ""They made a big splash with all the positives and left all the negatives out. We feel like it would be a target for terrorists."
In Grand Forks, the protests are limited to the proposed site, which would destroy a portion of some pristine native grasslands, not the lab itself. Protesters, many of whom happen to be scientists, say they haven't got anything against the germ lab.
In Anniston, Ala., local government support lacked enthusiasm. The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., reports that Mayor Hoyt "Chip" Howell, Jr., had written a "lukewarm" letter of support that said the city would welcome a germ lab if the feds can guarantee it would be safe.
"We need an education process," he said. "This was thrust on the community with only a couple of days' notice."
UND's research office said it has the support of city officials, the state and the government of Canada, which has its own germ lab in Winnipeg. Some City Council members say they like the germ lab but the city itself has not sent a formal letter of support.
FYI: Here's where UND's proposed site is. UND owns the western half of the dun colored section immediately south of the railroad tracks and west of the green blurry section of the map. See the little dot on the central-western border of the section? That's UND's existing observatory. Go east to the eastern border of UND's property -- roughly in the middle of the section -- and that's where the germ lab would be built.
In the southwest corner of the section you'll see a discolored squiggly thing. That's an old landfill. The entire section to the south is owned by UND. You'll notice a faint line going somewhat northwest through the middle. UND's facility director said there's a high-pressure petroleum pipeline buried beneath the section. This looks like it.
Update 6:25 p.m.: Retired biology professor Robert Seabloom, who is one of the opponents of the proposed lab site, said that, though some of the disturbances mentioned above exist, most of the prairie there is pristine.
posted by Tu-Uyen at 2:20 PM
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