Congress has repealed a mandate that would have required the government to sell a mysterious piece of land in Long Island Sound that for years has housed a government animal disease research facility.
The move is a victory for conservationists, who have fought to prevent development on Plum Island, an 822-acre island which is part of New York state and also is home to rare birds, sea turtles and other animals.
The measure, included in Monday night’s omnibus spending bill, reverses a 2008 decision to auction the island to help fund a new bio-research center in Kansas.
