A new taxpayer-funded lab in Colorado, set to collaborate with Dr. Anthony Fauci's former department at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Colorado State University (CSU), and EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), has sparked controversy as it plans to import bats from around the world and experiment on dangerous diseases, including Ebola, Nipah virus, and Covid-19, according to proposals obtained by DailyMail.com.

The 14,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in 2025 on CSU's Foothill Campus in Fort Collins, aims to enhance America's ability to study the role of bats in disease transmission and research emerging zoonotic pathogens. However, Republican Senators have expressed concerns that the lab could potentially start a pandemic on US soil.

Residents of Fort Collins have also voiced their worries about the lab's construction, fearing that it could lead to the spread of diseases like Covid-19 and trigger another pandemic. The proposed site is located just 380 feet from the border fence of university land and adjacent houses.

The lab, referred to as the Chiropteran Research Facility, plans to import, house, breed, and experiment on dozens to hundreds of bats. While CSU lists the facility as a biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) research center, previous documents reviewed by DailyMail.com revealed scientists' intentions to infect bats with Covid, Ebola, and Nipah virus.

The project, which was initially proposed in 2019 but wasn't selected for funding at that time, has since received a $6.7 million grant from the NIH in October 2021. The total budget for the facility has increased to $11.83 million, with CSU increasing its contribution to $5.08 million.

The documents obtained by the White Coat Waste Project indicate a coordinated effort involving EHA, CSU, Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), and NIAID, which was overseen by Dr. Fauci, to establish a bat research group and a high containment pathogen research facility. The involvement of EHA in bat coronaviruses research has drawn particular attention.

Despite concerns, CSU asserts that the facility will follow strict biosafety standards and will have oversight of compliance from multiple organizations. CSU emphasizes the importance of researching bats for understanding disease transmission and highlights its expertise in infectious disease studies.

However, critics, including Republican representatives, push for defunding EHA and raising questions about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and similar research conducted at NIH labs, particularly the one in Montana. A public meeting held in November 2022 for the proposed lab in Fort Collins saw residents expressing concerns about potential disease spread, compliance issues, and alleged bribes.

Construction of the bat lab is yet to commence, with an estimated opening date of September 2025. The recent documents suggest that contracting for construction is underway, as reported during the CSU board of governors meeting in October. It remains to be seen how the concerns surrounding the lab's potential risks and controversies will be addressed moving forward.

In conclusion, the proposed taxpayer-funded bat lab in Colorado has drawn criticism and concerns about the potential for a pandemic on US soil. While proponents highlight the research opportunities it offers, critics are calling for caution and further investigations into the origins of Covid-19 and similar research activities funded by the NIH. The ultimate outcome of the project will depend on how these concerns are addressed in the future.

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