I've taken the liberty of forwarding this. I haven't seen it discussed here, but it doesn't seem too sustainable to me. Pegi> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:28:06 -0800> Subject: [Odairy] Fwd: USDA Rushing Through Dangerous New Rules on GE and Pharmaceutical Crops> > I know we all have a ton on our plate with the NOP livestock rule and many> other things, but this one (deadline for comments Monday) is extremely> important. Perhaps it is only a coincidence that the long-delayed timing of> the NOP livestock grazing rule proposal means that we are> pre-occupied precisely in time for this rulemaking on GMOs to go more under> the radar. In any case, we can't just let this one go by.> > <http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/>> > USDA Rushing Through Dangerous New Rules on GE and Pharmaceutical Crops> > Greetings,> > In the waning months of the Bush administration, the U.S. Department of> Agriculture (USDA) has joined the ranks of federal agencies rushing through> new regulations that weaken protections for human health and the> environment. *USDA has released a proposed rule that would significantly> weaken oversight of all genetically engineered crops, and which continue to> allow companies to grow food crops engineered to produce drugs and> industrial chemicals.*> > The USDA began this process over four years ago by promising stricter> oversight. Unfortunately, improvements considered early on have been> dismissed, and *the proposed rule now has the same gaping holes as the> policy it is replacing, and creates a few new ones, as well. For instance:*> > * USDA has created a huge loophole allowing biotech companies to assess> their own crops to determine whether USDA should regulate them. And the> criteria are open-ended, very subjective, and will certainly reduce USDA's> oversight of GE crops.> > * The proposed rules could also allow companies to grow untested GE crops> with no oversight whatsoever: "Over time, the range of GE organisms subject> to oversight is expected to decrease...," a move which USDA itself admits> will make contamination of conventional/organic crops with untested GE> material more likely.> > * To add insult to injury, USDA has proposed to write into law its "Low> Level Presence" policy, which excuses it from taking any action to remove> untested GE crops from conventional or organic food, feed and seed. This> contamination often occurs through cross-pollination or seed dispersal, and> has cost farmers hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales and lowered> profits.> > * USDA rejected options that would have banned outdoor cultivation of> pharmaceutical-producing GE (food) crops, the only way to ensure that> untested drugs don't end up in our food, despite strong support from> citizens and the food industry.> > * USDA has refused to propose any controls on pesticide-promoting GE crops,> despite increasing pesticide use and an epidemic of resistant weeds that> have been fostered by these crops.> > * Finally, USDA snuck in a last-minute "correction" that bars state or local> regulation of GE crops more protective than its own weak rule. CFS strongly> opposes such preemptive language that would bar local or state authorities> from putting meaningful regulations or restrictions on GE crops in place> that best suit their communities. This last-minute change should be cause to> extend the public comment period.> > The USDA is treading dangerous new ground here. The structure of the new> proposal opens loopholes that can be exploited by biotech companies and> expose consumers to more untested and unlabeled genetically engineered> foods.> > *After denying requests for an extension to the short comment period given> for the proposed rules, USDA's comment period closes on Monday. Sign our> petition to the USDA today and demand stronger—not weaker—regulations for> genetically engineered crops!*> > > > [image: Sign this petition]<http://ga3.org/campaign/GMOregs/wedx7xsry7kiixxt?>> > Sign this petition :> > Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023> Regulatory Analysis and Development> PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8> 4700 River Road Unit 118> Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.> > Re: Docket No. APHIS-2008-0023, Importation, Interstate Movement, and> Release into the Environment of Certain> Genetically Engineered Organisms.> > I am very concerned about the risks genetically engineered crops--especially> those engineered to produce drugs and industrial chemicals--pose to human> health, family farmers, wildlife, and the environment. I urge USDA to close> the gaping loopholes in its proposed rules, and put stronger--not> weaker--regulations in place. In particular:> > 1)Please follow the advice of the National Academy of Sciences and make> genetic engineering the trigger for USDA oversight so that ALL experimental> GE crops are properly regulated. This approach is scientifically sound,> administratively efficient, and more protective of public health, the> environment, and the interests of farmers. Eliminate loopholes that exempt> any GE crop that has not undergone a determination of non-regulated status> from USDA regulatory oversight.> > 2)Please do NOT incorporate the "Low Level Presence"> policy in the final rule. Instead, make zero presence of> experimental GE crops in food and feed your management goal, and gear your> implementing regulations to achieve it as fully as possible. In particular,> make all field trials of experimental GE crops subject to strict gene> containment standards at least as stringent as those now applied to> pharmaceutical-producing GE crops.> > 3)Please reconsider your "business as usual" pharma crop policy, and instead> adopt one of two alternatives you proposed in the Draft Environmental Impact> Statement - a simple ban on outdoor cultivation of all> pharmaceutical-producing crops, or at least pharmaceutical-producing food> crops - to best protect public health and the environment.> > 4)Please regulate as necessary pesticide-promoting,> herbicide-tolerant GE crops in order to address the rise in pesticide use> these crops have fostered, and to mitigate the growing threat posed by> herbicide-resistant weeds to farmers and the interests of American> agriculture.> > 5)Remove any preemption clause that bars state and local authorities from> enacting laws or regulations to control GE crops as they best see fit.> [image: Sign this petition]<http://ga3.org/campaign/GMOregs/wedx7xsry7kiixxt?>> > Sign this Petition!> > Instructions:> Sign this petition <http://ga3.org/campaign/GMOregs/wedx7xsry7kiixxt?>> > Tell-A-Friend:> Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.> Tell-a-Friend! <http://ga3.org/campaign/GMOregs/forward/wedx7xsry7kiixxt?>> > What's At Stake:> > > > > Campaign Expiration Date:> November 25, 2008> > ------------------------------> > If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Center for> Food Safety <http://ga3.org/cfs/join.html?r=fpLxgS9qHeHSE>.> > This message was sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit your subscription management> page <http://ga3.org/cfs/smp.tcl?nkey=wedx7xsry7kiixxt&;> to modify your> email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL> email from Center for Food Safety, click to> remove<http://ga3.org/cfs/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=center&nkey=wedx7xsry7kiixxt&;>yourself> from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in> the subject line).> > <http://www.convio.com/>> > > > -- > Mark Lipson> Senior Policy Analyst> Organic Farming Research Foundation> 831-426-6606 x109> www.ofrf.org> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]> > > ------------------------------------> > Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To visit your group on the web, go to:> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Odairy/> > Yahoo! Groups Links> > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Odairy/> > <*> Your email settings:> Individual Email | Traditional> > <*> To change settings online go to:> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Odairy/join> (Yahoo! 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