PLUM ISLAND: Washington Will Assess Its Options, Clinton, Bishop pressure Homeland Security chie

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Tim Bishop urged Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the Homeland Security Department, to consider keeping the Plum Island Animal Disease Center open, and even to build a new biological and agricultural defense facility there - as long as it is not upgraded to a Biosafety Level 4 facility from its current Level 3 status.

Senator Clinton and Mr. Bishop described their meeting with Mr. Chertoff in a conference call yesterday morning.

"We weren't told it won't stay open," Senator Clinton said. Instead, the Homeland Security Department will base its decision on a scientific assessment of the facilities, including their standing in comparison with other proposed sites. "We think we have a strong argument" for not closing it, the senator added.

In August the department announced that it would look for a site for a more up-to-date facility to replace Plum Island. Yesterday, Mr. Chertoff assured the senator and the congressman that a scientific study would be undertaken to examine the current uses of Plum Island and to determine whether a better site exists to continue its work. He also said that they would be kept apprised of any decisions in the future regarding the facility.

Both Senator Clinton and Mr. Bishop said they were against the construction of a new Level 4 facility, which would study both human and more dangerous animal pathogens. "We took ourselves out of that for obvious and correct reasons," Senator Clinton said.

At Level 3, livestock and animal pathogens are examined at an isolated island site that does not expose the area's livestock and food supply to those organisms. Plum Island conducts research on foreign animal diseases not present in the United States, such as foot and mouth disease and swine fever.

According to Mr. Bishop, some upgrades of Plum Island are necessary if it is to become a modern research center. "It's a 50-year-old facility," he said. New air handling devices as well as biocontainment structures will be required. He said such upgrades were "not an impossible task."

Senator Clinton said that Maureen McCarthy, a Homeland Security official who is familiar with Plum Island, would be in charge of the scientific study. No other scientists have been named and no timeline has been established.

Mr. Bishop said that he asked to be told how much it would cost to shut down Plum Island if the department decides to discontinue the facility. He also asked Mr. Chertoff to consider alternative uses for the site. Mr. Bishop said it was important to maintain jobs at Plum Island if possible.

Senator Clinton said that the research being done at other sites on Long Island such as Brookhaven Laboratory and the State University of New York at Stony Brook would complement Plum Island's efforts in Homeland Security.