Animal rights activists in the Phoenix area had threatened to block a 300,000 square foot testing facility planned by Covance. The new facility was to employ 300-500 workers at first, and expand to 2,000.

At the last minute, in a news conference with unusual security, Covance stunned the Arizona animal rights community by announcing it had purchased another lot, 50 acres in size, that is near the Chandler airport and already zoned for industrial use. The new lot will require no political approval; anti-Covance activists had hoped to bring Covance’s operations to a city council vote or public referendum.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the Arizona saga is not over. Alka Chandna, a researcher for the group, says the latest development “clearly shows that Covance is running scared.” Like Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola, some of the large contract research organizations are facing concerted, dedicated opposition. In Arizona, Citizens Against Covance had sprung up to fight the company and enlisted aid from the Washington, D.C.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. It’s not clear in news accounts what the Arizona facility will be used for.