Some Athens News

Athens is one of 6 finalist cities vying for a huge bioresearch facility.

The facility, to be run by the Department of Homeland Security, would bring huge amounts of money into the community (to the tune of $20 million in payroll and 250+ jobs), as well as furthering UGA's reputation as a premier reasearch university in this field. The proposed location is on the Whitehall Farm, land owned by the University on S. Milledge.

The proposal locating the facility here in Athens is not without its detractors, however. Many citizens have expressed concern over the possible environmental impacts, the security risks, and the quarantine procedures for a site like this. DHS seems to have an answer for some of these questions, but certainly some pressing issues remain.

An environmental impact statement is forthcoming, at some point. Until then, speculation over what the possible environmental impacts of this facility could be are fairly speculative. Expect more from TPQ on this as the story continues to develop.

Other Information:
The info on the facility released by DHS
UGA's proposal page