Plum Island, longtime site of federal biosafety lab, could go up for grabs

Plum Island, an 840-acre island off Long Island’s North Shore that since 1954 has housed a federal biosafety research lab, could soon go on the market, and local officials and real estate agents are mulling what could be done with it. The historic island, which was an antisubmarine base before being used for the study of foot-and-mouth disease and other contagious animal diseases, likely needs a multimillion-dollar cleanup. Last month, the General Services Administration released an environmental impact statement for the site. Still, for a developer willing to take it on, the waterfront property could be a unique opportunity. Aside from private residential development, ideas that have surfaced range from a casino to a park or wilderness preserve. [NYT]