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Federal Court Orders for the First Time a Halt to New Field Trials of Genetically Engineered Crops
Far-Reaching Decision Requires More Rigorous Environmental Review For Future Trials
Past Trials on Genetically Engineered Creeping Bentgrass Ruled Illegal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joseph Mendelson (202) 547-9359
February 6, 2007
Legal Director, Center for Food Safety
Washington, DC - In a decision broadly affecting field trials of
genetically engineered crops a federal district judge ruled yesterday
that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must halt approval of all
new field trials until more rigorous environmental reviews are
conducted. Citing potential threats to the environment, Judge Harold
Kennedy found in favor of the Center for Food Safety that USDA's past
approvals of field trials of herbicide tolerant, genetically engineered
bentgrass were illegal.
"This is a significant victory. The decision requires far more thorough
oversight of the environmental impact of these crops, " stated Joseph
Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety.
"The Court was clearly concerned that the agency has put our nation's
environment at risk by exempting many of these field trials from
environmental review. That's why the judge made the decision broadly
apply to all future field trials of genetically engineered crops."
Mendelson continued.
The federal lawsuit was filed by the Center for Food Safety,
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and other individuals and
organizations in 2003. At issue in the lawsuit are novel varieties of
creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass manufactured by Scotts and
Monsanto that have been genetically engineered to resist Roundup,
Monsanto's popular herbicide.
Currently, use of the Roundup weedkiller is limited to spot spraying of
weeds in that the herbicide kills any grass with which it comes in
contact. The new engineered grass has been altered to be resistant to
the weedkiller so that users will be able to spray entire lawns, fields
and golf courses with large amounts of the chemical without fear of
hurting the grass. Large scale planting of the biotech grass would
therefore significantly increase the amounts of herbicide used in home
lawns, sports fields, schools and golf courses around the country.
In seminal studies concerning environmental contamination from
genetically engineered creeping bentgrass, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency found multiple instances of the pollen from engineered
bentgrass traveling several miles and transferring its traits to native
grasses. Last year, EPA researchers found that the engineered grasses
had escaped from field trials to contaminate a national grassland.
"These field trials threaten our public land, our communities and our
health," said Lesley Adams, Outreach Coordinator for plaintiff
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.
"We will monitor the USDA very closely to make sure they don't allow
any more of these tests until they've rigorously assessed their
environmental impact," Adams concluded.
ooo
The court's decision is available at www.centerforfoodsafety.org
(Thanks to TW)
Far-Reaching Decision Requires More Rigorous Environmental Review For Future Trials
Past Trials on Genetically Engineered Creeping Bentgrass Ruled Illegal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joseph Mendelson (202) 547-9359
February 6, 2007
Legal Director, Center for Food Safety
Washington, DC - In a decision broadly affecting field trials of
genetically engineered crops a federal district judge ruled yesterday
that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must halt approval of all
new field trials until more rigorous environmental reviews are
conducted. Citing potential threats to the environment, Judge Harold
Kennedy found in favor of the Center for Food Safety that USDA's past
approvals of field trials of herbicide tolerant, genetically engineered
bentgrass were illegal.
"This is a significant victory. The decision requires far more thorough
oversight of the environmental impact of these crops, " stated Joseph
Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety.
"The Court was clearly concerned that the agency has put our nation's
environment at risk by exempting many of these field trials from
environmental review. That's why the judge made the decision broadly
apply to all future field trials of genetically engineered crops."
Mendelson continued.
The federal lawsuit was filed by the Center for Food Safety,
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and other individuals and
organizations in 2003. At issue in the lawsuit are novel varieties of
creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass manufactured by Scotts and
Monsanto that have been genetically engineered to resist Roundup,
Monsanto's popular herbicide.
Currently, use of the Roundup weedkiller is limited to spot spraying of
weeds in that the herbicide kills any grass with which it comes in
contact. The new engineered grass has been altered to be resistant to
the weedkiller so that users will be able to spray entire lawns, fields
and golf courses with large amounts of the chemical without fear of
hurting the grass. Large scale planting of the biotech grass would
therefore significantly increase the amounts of herbicide used in home
lawns, sports fields, schools and golf courses around the country.
In seminal studies concerning environmental contamination from
genetically engineered creeping bentgrass, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency found multiple instances of the pollen from engineered
bentgrass traveling several miles and transferring its traits to native
grasses. Last year, EPA researchers found that the engineered grasses
had escaped from field trials to contaminate a national grassland.
"These field trials threaten our public land, our communities and our
health," said Lesley Adams, Outreach Coordinator for plaintiff
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.
"We will monitor the USDA very closely to make sure they don't allow
any more of these tests until they've rigorously assessed their
environmental impact," Adams concluded.
ooo
The court's decision is available at www.centerforfoodsafety.org
(Thanks to TW)
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