A plan by the Centers for Disease Control to develop an underground safety research center on a 461-acre tract straddling the Randolph-Pocahontas county line now faces opposition from the Pocahontas County Commission and several neighboring landowners, including Snowshoe Mountain Resort.
The plan came to public attention in June 2018, when the CDC published notices in area newspapers announcing its intention to conduct a draft environmental impact survey on the property, located just east of U.S. 219 near the Pocahontas County community of Mace. CDC personnel also hosted a scoping meeting later that month in Slatyfork to share their plans for the property with area residents, and respond to their concerns.