A shelter for more than 1,000 homeless people will be built on land plagued by swarms of biting insects, reported The Salt Lake Tribune.
What’s happening?
State officials revealed in September their intention to build a campus for 1,300 residents on a 16-acre parcel located at 2520 N. 2200 West in Salt Lake City. Wetlands near the Great Salt Lake produce massive mosquito populations each year, with the biting season now lasting beyond summer.
Mosquito abatement experts say the state has ignored their concerns. “From our perspective, we certainly have a lot of concerns in regards to protection of these individuals from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases,” said executive director Ary Faraji of the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District.
Another factor is that mosquitoes that bite one person may take on a pathogen from that person and then spread it to another person, meaning the placement threatens disease spread beyond just the people experiencing homelessness who would stay on the campus…