Plum Island is a part of Southold, New York in Gardiner Bay, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island. When America's age of internal paranoia set in during the Cold War, the island was the known center for a military base and animal disease center called "Lab 257". When Lab 257 was fully operational, access was limited only to select scientists and special guests. Popular word is that strange animal experiments were the work of its shadowy operatives. Lab 257 is where some individuals believe the Montauk Monster originated. But those glory days are (allegedly) long gone. Plum Island is up for sale, reports local WCBS TV. Article Resource: Plum Island - Want to purchase a former animal disease center Somebody who cares about myths, will you please buy Plum Island? Plum Island is a hot topic of discussion, as the General Services Administration is taking the temperature of public opinion. Numerous feel that its place as a natural habitat for various birds should lend itself to the creation of a federal park and nature preserve. Nevertheless, the security of the previous chemical facility at Lab 257 has Homeland Security's bells ringing. Various substances that could kill people – let alone livestock – were once produced there on a regular basis. It could be a target for terrorist attack, the government worries. The possibility of relocating Lab 257 to inland Kansas has been announced by the government. According to New York (and Plum Island) Rep. Timothy Bishop, selling the island for $ 50 to $ 60 million wouldn't come close to helping with relocation costs. The costs of relocating Lab 257 would be significantly a lot more, more than $ 650 million. Installment loans would be necessary. Plum Island resources should resume on Plum Island, instead of New York leaping into that financial quagmire, says Bishop. Did the Montauk Monster come from Lab 257? This Lab 257 yarn has filled the days of New York and New Jersey fishermen with no shortage of good humor. When Plum Island legends sound better, the truth may very well be that the Montauk Monster is a smelly dead raccoon or sea lion. It is infinitely more glorious that one set of New York fishermen claim to have pushed the carcass out to sea and set it ablaze, a la Beowulf. Truth tends to get within the way of enjoyable hyperbole here. This very human form of legend-making is in numerous ways a lot more important than objective truth. Those who talk of Plum Island and Lab 257 may stretch the truth, but nobody is harmed by this. That's enough to entertain generations of children around the campfire on a summer evening. Read a lot more on this topic here WCBS TV http://wcbstv.com/local/plum.island.animal.2.1705004.html