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Lecture Series: Coastal Perspectives: Plum Island – Telling the Story of One of the Most Mysterious Islands on the Eastern Seaboard
April 22 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Thomas Halaczinsky
A documentary in production
Plum Island, located just 1.5 miles off Orient Point on the eastern tip of Long Island’s North Fork and 9 miles as the crow flies from the Connecticut shore, is most likely one of the most mysterious islands on the Eastern Seaboard. For more than 100 years, the 840-acre island has belonged to the federal government, housed an army fort, and was part of the coastal defense system protecting the back entry through Long Island Sound to New York City.
In 1948, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps took over the island when Congress allocated $30 million—$390 million in 2025 dollars—to prepare the country for possible biological war. However, in 1954, the Department of Agriculture took over the laboratory—infamously known as Lab 257—focusing on developing vaccines against highly contagious animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease.
After more than six decades, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center bids farewell to Plum Island. The 2008 legislation regulating the move of the laboratory called for selling the island at auction to the highest bidder. A coalition of over 120 organizations of environmentalists, conservationists, historical societies, and impassioned citizens rallied to defy the sale and safeguard the island’s legacy. Meanwhile, the Montaukett Indian Nation, once the owner of the island, is fighting for state recognition. In 2018, documentary filmmaker Thomas Halaczinsky started to document the fight to preserve Plum Island. The film is currently in post-production.
As the filmmaker navigates the intricate tapestry of Plum Island, where local stories echo through time, the documentary uncovers a microcosmic American story. The talk offers a behind-the-scenes look at the production process.