NIMBY WATCH : Rat Race

Many, perhaps most, communities around the country have learned to spring into action to block things such as new prisons in their areas. But the reasons they give have become boringly predictable.

“No (prison) In My Back Yard,” they say. “There are bad people in those places.” Or no trash dump because it might smell. No nuclear waste because it is dangerous. Pretty soon, people put their hands over their ears because they’ve heard it all before.

Now Marin County, home of the Chardonnay-Brie-and- hot-tub image of California that is so widespread, has lofted the “NIMBY” syndrome to heights that may never be reached again.

The Buck Trust, a wealthy philanthropic organization based in the county, is required to prepare an environmental impact report on a research center it wants to build. The center would use rodents and perhaps worms in experiments that might reveal something about the aging process in humans.

As part of the impact report, the foundation must conduct a poll to find how county residents feel about the center. The Marin County Board of Supervisors said it wants to know whether they think such a center would diminish their self-esteem.

Legitimate impact reports have to take account of all sorts of things. But this, as far as we know, is a first. After all, self-esteem means knowing who you are and feeling good about it. Pretty hard to measure. Still, you have to hand it to Marin County--it took the boredom out of NIMBY.

Even if you do sort of smell a rat.