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BBC1 ITV Channel 4 Camden "Supper Virus" Lab - work has started

Stop Camden Animal Lab | 26.02.2009 14:50 | Animal Liberation | Bio-technology | Social Struggles | South Coast | World

Most people are aware of the plans to build a "super virus" lab in Camden, alongside St Pancras International behind the British Library. The lab is likely to be level 3 facility meaning that it could contain anthrax and bird flu. I have just been told today by Helia Evens the secretary for Somers Town tenants association that work has indeed started to "explore risk assessment". A news item was also shown very late on TV two days ago...so late that most people would have missed it.

Sir Paul Nurse was interviewed in New York about the lab and said that the lab "....has the backing of America".
America doesn't have to live alongside it, but I wonder will US citizens be happy entering the UK from Europe via St Pancras International?
Foot and Mouth disease was leaked from govt facility Pirbright in Surrey, such a leak in Kings Cross would be a disaster of epic proportions.

Local people [plants aside] are against the lab and want council homes and community facilities on the land. We ask that Camden Council denies planning permission. I am aware that a Hare Krishna internet cafe was denied planning permission by Camden Council "because one person complained so we had to have it in Islington instead". Well, there are hundreds of people who have signed and continue to sign a govt petition against the lab and there are now thousands of people supporting the campaign via Facebook and myspace etc. Campaigners are disconcerted that letters from local people who do not support the lab plans are not having their letters printed at this stage...at the beginning there were many and the number of people who do not support the lab has increased.
Paper petitions have also been handed in and lealfletting [which we are doing on a very, very limited budget] has proved postive. Frighteningly there are still a very large number of people who do not know about the lab and thereare attempts to cover up what is going on...late night news items for example...a lack of proper information from the consortium [that which has been distributed was only given out in Somers Town and nowhere else].

It seems that many local people feel that our views are not / will not be taken into consideration....we have to make our voices heard.

The site of the proposed lab is at Brill Place, [the sign post for this street was removed...] which is on the corner of Ossulston Street and Phoenix Road. You can see ot from St Pancras International Station.

You can oppose the lab by contacting Camden Council
Camden Town Hall
Judd Street
Camden
London
WC1

There is an online govt petition at  http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BLISS-Lab

If you want to hold or attend a public meeting about this please email us. Address above.

Stop Camden Animal Lab
- e-mail: stopcamdenanimallab@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.myspace.com/stopcamdenanimallab

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