BILL PROTECTING PLUM ISLAND ADVANCES
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, joined Connecticut U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy on Friday in applauding progress on their efforts to delay any sale of Plum Island.
They were joined by U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, John Larson, D-1st District, and Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, in releasing a statement after the House Homeland Security Committee voted Thursday in favor of legislation that would delay sale of the island by requiring an additional comprehensive federal review of alternative management of the island.
“Plum Island is a scenic and biological treasure located right in the middle of Long Island Sound,” the six lawmakers said in a joint statement. “The island is home to a rich assortment of endangered species, and should be preserved as a natural sanctuary — not sold off to the highest bidder for development. We have long supported federal legislation to remove the government requirement to sell Plum Island as a means to finance a new research facility.”
The lawmakers said the sale of Plum Island is no longer financially necessary because Congress has fully appropriated the funds to build the new bioresearch facility in Kansas.
“Now that this legislation has been passed in committee, it is our hope that it will be quickly passed by the full House and taken up in the Senate,” the lawmakers said. “We are closer than we have ever been to permanently protecting Plum Island.”
The bill, as amended and passed out of committee, would expand on an ongoing study of the island by the Department of Homeland Security regarding the conservation and cost of Plum Island, according to a news release.
The new report, administered by the Government Accountability Office, would use the study by the Department of Homeland Security to assess the feasibility and cost of alternative uses and cleanup of current government sites on the island. The bill also prohibits the use of the existing authority to sell the island until 180 days after the report is submitted to Congress, providing additional opportunity to further restrict the sale or transfer of the property, the news release said.
The underlying bill is sponsored by Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., and has been co-sponsored by the entire Connecticut House delegation. Sens. Blumenthal and Murphy support similar legislation in the U.S. Senate, according to the news release.