Mysterious Plum Island

Plum Island sits off the northeast coast of Long Island, New York. Throughout the last two centuries it has vacillated between civilian and government use. Colonists began settling here in the late seventeenth and into the eighteenth centuries, and named it for the abundant native plum trees. British raiders bedeviled the island during the Revolutionary War. Sleepier times ensued during much of the nineteenth century.

Residents farmed, raised livestock, and generally kept to themselves. Eventually the government erected a lighthouse to guide ships through Long Island Sound. The final private owner wanted to turn the island into a summer resort but failed. Nonetheless, nothing much distinguished Plum Island from any other coastal island along the eastern seaboard of the United States.


Government Control

Things got more interesting when the government purchased a large tract on Plum Island in the late nineteenth century. Here they erected Fort Terry, a link in the protective shield for New York City during the Spanish-American War. Spanish forces never threatened New York during that rather lopsided conflict, and Fort Terry never fired a shot in anger.

The government acquired the remainder of the island after the war. Then it upgraded its military capabilities, and operated a base through the end of the First World War before deactivating it. Fort Terry returned to active duty during the Second World War as an army training camp and as a supply depot for submarines and patrol boats. Once again it returned to inactive status at the conclusion of hostilities. The U.S. Army Chemical Corps began refurbishing it in the early 1950’s and soon passed it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study foot-and-mouth disease in livestock.


Animal Disease Research

Individuals who work at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, a part of the Agricultural Research Service, take an employer-provided ferry each day to their jobs either from Orient Point, New York or Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Outsiders cannot set foot on Plum Island without an official reason. However most probably wouldn’t want to do that anyway because it’s a Biological Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility. That means it deals with nasty animal pathogens. Its remote location makes it advantageous for these types of situations.

The Infamous Plum Island. Photo by Daniel Piraino; (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

“Plum Island is located two miles from Orient Point. It was created by retreating glaciers and is naturally isolated. The shrub covered island measures 643 acres, and is located between the north and south fork of Long Islands “fish tail” east end, next to Gardiner Island. Prevailing winds in this area generally blow out to sea, which makes Plum Island a safe place to experiment with dangerous infectious diseases.”

Long Island Historical Journal, Vol. 16, Nos. 1-2, page 176

Conspiracy Theories

That’s what the government claims takes place on the island. Naturally, Plum Island’s restricted access and officially-stated purpose give rise to all manner of speculation. People wonder what may or may not actually be happening there.

Conspiracy theories related to Lyme Disease[1], the Montauk Monster, and biological warfare all circulate freely on the Internet with varying degrees of veracity and seriousness. Regular readers know that I’m rather jaded by nature. So within that context I’ll simply note that I’m not making any claims or value judgments, I’m merely pointing out the existence of these theories. They make the story more interesting.

The Department of Homeland Security controls Plum Island today although USDA continues to operate its lab there. On January 16, 2009, DHS finalized plans to shut down the facility by 2015 and move it to a new $450 million research site in Manhattan, Kansas. It will be located close to an abundant source of scientists from Kansas State University. It will also be upgraded to handle even nastier pathogens up to BSL-4.


What the Future May Hold

You would think most people within blowing distance of Plum Island would be happy with that decision. BSL-4 works with the worst-of-the-worst; things that are easily transmitted among humans and are extremely dangerous, like hemorrhagic fevers including Ebola. Think bio-suits and oxygen tanks. Downwind residents in heavily populated areas of Connecticut a few miles across Long Island Sound seem pretty content with the move. Lots of people would like to see Plum Island converted into recreational use or as a facility with less controversial research pursuits. Perhaps renewable energy technology?

It’s a different story in New York. Plum Island brings lots of good-paying jobs to a remote corner of the state. New York politicians now sense an opportunity to reverse the DHS decision during the change in Presidential administrations. They point to a body of evidence including a 2008 report from the government’s General Accountability Office:

“GAO found that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had neither conducted nor commissioned any study to determine whether work on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can be done safely on the U. S. mainland.”

GAO: HIGH-CONTAINMENT BIOSAFETY LABORATORIES

Depending on how this all works out, you might be able to visit the historic remains of Fort Terry or climb the tower to the Plum Gut Light during your lifetime. If Plumb Island does return to public use then I’ll be in line. I have a fascination both with coastal fortifications and with lighthouses. However, you better believe I’ll make sure the place is well scrubbed before I arrive!


12MC Loves Footnotes!

[1]The town of Lyme, Connecticut — which lends its name to the disease — is perhaps fifteen miles away from Plum Island as the crow flies (or as the wind blows). Thus, this set of conspiracy theories rely on a proximity argument.

Comments

9 responses to “Mysterious Plum Island”

  1. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    It is interesting that the google maps imagery is censored when you zoom in close enought, but the microsoft live maps are not. Plus, Microsoft has bird’s eye view imagery for the entire island. There’s many interesting things to see, old abandoned hidden bunkers? What are they burying here? And The Lighthouse.

    1. TOM Avatar
      TOM

      The trenches are test pits that were dug to delineate old trash landfills. Until 1991- the policy was “nothing leaves the island” except people, in order to add another layer of protection against foot and mouth disease leaving the island. So, for nearly 50 years, what could not be burned was buried. In the 1990s-2000s, there was a massive effort to dig up, clean, sort, recycle (metal) and dispose of the material in regulated landfills. All done under guidance of NYSDEC.

      The bunkers are part of the coastal defense system built in the Spanish-American war until WWI

  2. Twelve Mile Circle Avatar

    The bunkers look OK, and very similar other coastal fortifications I’ve seen elsewhere. There’s even a nice example of a swivel turret placed strategically to blast ships entering the Sound. The trenches? You’re guess is as good as mine on that one but I have a feeling I don’t want to be standing anywhere near them. Google is know to blur or pixelate images although they maintain they get their images from 3rd party sources and simply use what they receive. But here’s another fact known to those who follow the mapping sites closely: the blur on the Vice President’s residence disappeared right after the Inauguration. Coincidence?

  3. colorado rick Avatar
    colorado rick

    I worked on plum island. While I was there, there was nothing sinister going on, I was allowed to go anywhere. I stayed on the island 24/7 for about 6 weeks.

    I worked, ate, and slept there. I operated the waste water plant. Eight years later I’m still ok.

    Plum Island is a very peaceful and beautiful place.
    I wanted to build a home and remain but wasn’t to be…

  4. anabela van rynbach Avatar
    anabela van rynbach

    Very interesting island, ideally for these biological reasearch. However, I was disapointed to learn, that this group are moving out of Plum island.
    This was an ideal spot, safe for everybody…..
    Anabela.

  5. Nokatay Avatar
    Nokatay

    It’s funny that after Jeese Ventura’s “Conspiract Theory” show on Plum Island Google provided clear views of the island and the wharf in nearby Orient NY was also blurred but now clear.

  6. Gary Avatar
    Gary

    I lived on Plum Island from Sept 1954 to Aug 1957. I and other children commuted to the main land to attend school. As a child I explored nearly every inch of the place. The only really off limits place for me was blg. 257 which was the first operational lab at the time. I frankly hope it is never opened to the general public. It was a magical place for a kid to play around, with many remnants of the old fort around, especially at that time. The homes we lived in are long gone, but they were great brick structures that housed the officers from years past.
    Gary

    1. EDWARD F. Avatar

      WELL WELL LONG TIME I NEVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED I WOULD FIND YOU. YOU BROTHER STAN I SEE OFF AND ON. HOW ARE YOU DOING.IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU EITHER EMAIL OR TEXT OR PHONE. 631 513 0836. YES IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE LIVING ON THAT ISLAND.WE HAD SOME FUN TOO.NEVER DID FIND KIDS TREASURE. WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU. IM LIVING IN NEW YORK ON THE ISLAND TOO. STAY SAFE BE SAFE

  7. Jeff Rundell Avatar
    Jeff Rundell

    In “The Silence of the Lambs” film Senator Martin offers Hannibal Lecter a cell with a view on Plum Island if he helps get her daughter back.

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