I heard on NPR that the Plum Island animal disease research center in New York has outgrown its facilities, and intends to build a new facility INLAND. As it is, the island, surrounded by water, serves as a knd of moat helping contain the spread of any of the deadly viruses/bacteria that might escape stringent precautions.
As it is, employees must shower, shampoo, and undergo other decontamination procedures before leaving to prevent inadvertent spread of disease. The hoof and mouth virus for instance, can live in the nose, and it is so virulent that should it escape into animal populations would be catastrophic for the U.S.
But instead of building new labs on Plum Island or Alcatraz or somewhere, our government wants to build a new lab inland, and Mississippi is one of five states under consideration for the multimillion dollar lab. One governor said "We want the new lab here--lots of new jobs."
Shortsighted idiots! Murphy's Law says if the disease agents can escape, they will, then there will be plenty of jobs alright, cleaning up the aftermath. I don't know which governor said that, but it sounds like something our Gov. Barbour would say. It also sounds like something GW Bush gave the okey dokey to.
If it ain't broke, y'all, leave it alone and keep it on Plum Island.
Susil