American Notes California

When the Buck Center for Research in Aging proposed to conduct research on rats and other rodents at the $30 million facility it plans to build in suburban Marin County, some residents sounded the alarm. Animal-rights activists warned that studying the beasts would lead to unnecessary cruelty and that the laboratory could be a source of dangerous medical wastes. But another ominous potential threat, opponents argued, was that living near the center might make people feel bad about themselves.

Faced with rising protests last week, the county planning department warned in a letter to Mary McEachron, administrative director of the center, that "social disruption, demonstrations, pickets" might occur if the center conducts animal research. Such activity, the letter said, could "significantly reduce the quality of life and community self-esteem."

Then the planning department ordered the center to pony up $6,000 for a report on how the center would impact the self-esteem of county residents. Since the report will be included in a larger study on the environmental effects of the center, it might be called an emotional-impact statement. McEachron has another name for it: "Looney Tunes."