- Ft. Collins in Northern Colorado is home to a CWD research
lab. This is a growing city, less than one hour from the Wyoming border
-- where elk have been found to have CWD. It is also the center of a high
rate of deer and elk dying from CWD - Boulder County, 45 minutes SOUTH
of Ft Collins, has lost many deer - and ground zero for West Nile disease
in Colorado. (2/3 of Boulder's crows died in the past two years) Amazingly,
these idiots have put the lab (and released prions) into the area right
next to Fort Collins' water treatment plant.
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- Location Of CWD Research Facility Causes Public
Health Concerns
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- Written by Dan Viens
- Reported by Paul Johnson
- 9News.com
- 2-25-5
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- 9NEWS reporter Paul Johnson says some people are concerned
about the location of a Fort Collins research facility. The research facility
is located right next to a water treatment facility in Fort Collins. Research
suggests the prions that cause CWD can live in the soil at the facility
for up to 2 years...
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- FORT COLLINS - The location of one of the best Chronic
Wasting Disease research facilities in the country has some citizens concerned
that it could contaminate a nearby water source.
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- The state-run Foothills Research Facility is located
in Fort Collins, right next to the city's water treatment plant.
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- The open-air facility studies the brain disease found
in some deer and elk. CWD is caused by protein called a prion. It is similar
to the causes of Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease, which is
fatal in humans.
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- A small group of scientists and activists say it not
wise to conduct open air CWD research so close to a water treatment plant.
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- One former researcher at the state Division of Wildlife
says the fact that so much is unknown about the disease is reason enough
to keep the facility away from the water treatment facility.
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- "The little that is known about Chronic Wasting
Disease; we possibly should limit all research or trials to a level 3 bio-containment
facility," said Gene Schoonveld, one of the disease's original researchers.
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- The facility is currently home to about 30 infected deer.
A recent study conducted at the facility reported that prions in the soil
could remain active for more than 2 years.
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- However, Division of Wildlife officials say there is
no science that suggests CWD in deer can make the jump to humans. Also,
DOW and Environmental Protection Agency officials say the filters at the
water treatment facility would probably remove any prions that are blown
into the water.
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- Even so, Gary Miller with the DOW says he understands
the location of the research facility makes it a target for criticism.
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- "If we were starting everything from ground zero,
maybe there could be a better spot," he says.
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- CWD was first found in captive deer at the facility in
the late 60s. In that amount of time there has not been any effect on the
water. The disease has spread to deer and elk herds across the state.
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