Butte County petition makes ballot + new GE oversight bill

[Guest guest]

I believe that Durbin's attempt here is to help GMO's by trying to headoff any

attempts to have GMOs labeled as such, which would make the consumers really

aware of what they were eating and to give them the OK of the industry's

favorite government rubberstamp PR agency.

 

" If the FDA says they are OK, well they must be OK and they must be good for

you, huh? " . F.

 

 

" News Update from The Campaign "

Butte County petition makes ballot + new GE oversight bill

Fri, 18 Jun 2004 19:49:54 -0500

 

News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

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Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

The citizens of Butte County, California, have gathered enough signatures to

get a measure on the ballot in November that is similar to the one passed

earlier this year in Mendocino County. If passed into law, the measure would

ban the growing of genetically engineered crops in Butte County.

 

Further, it appears that citizens in Humboldt County will soon be submitting

enough petition signatures to get on the ballot in that California county.

 

Congratulations to all the hard working activists and farmers in Butte

County for their success in getting this measure on the ballot! And good

luck to the people in Humboldt and other California counties in their petition

drive efforts.

 

Posted below are two short articles on the Butte County petition success.

 

On the national level, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill

before the U.S. Senate on Thursday called the Genetically Engineered Foods

Act. If passed into law, this legislation would mandate increased regulatory

oversight for genetically engineered foods.

 

While we welcome most efforts to improve the safety oversight of genetically

engineered foods, it is premature to say whether The Campaign to Label

Genetically Engineered Foods will endorse this new legislation or not. The

concept sounds good, but we have concerns that the legislation may not be

sufficient to provide adequate safeguards. We will review the legislation

next week and make a decision before the end of the month.

 

Regardless of whether or not we decide to support Senator Durbin's

Genetically Engineered Foods Act, this oversight legislation is inadequate

in that it does not provide for mandatory labeling. So our primary focus is

still on getting the Genetically Engineered Foods Right to Know Act passed

into law. Next week we will update you on that legislative effort -- and new

steps you can take to support it.

 

Posted below, after the two Butte County petition articles, is one about the

Genetically Engineered Foods Act and a Press Release issued by Senator

Durbin's office.

 

Craig Winters

Executive Director

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

 

The Campaign

PO Box 55699

Seattle, WA 98155

Tel: 425-771-4049

Fax: 603-825-5841

E-mail: label

Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

 

Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for

the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that

will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United

States. "

 

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Genetically modified crop ban qualifies for ballot

 

By Chico Enterprise-Record Staff

 

OROVILLE The petitions calling for a vote in November on whether Butte

County will ban genetically modified organisms have been validated by the

county elections office.

 

Organizers of the effort got word Tuesday that they had submitted enough

signatures of registered voters to require a vote unless county supervisors

vote July 13 to adopt the law.

 

The group needed 6,200 signatures, and 7,981 were verified.

 

In March, Mendocino County became the first country in the United States to

ban genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Other counties in the state are

also working on similar efforts.

 

Citizens for a GE-Free Butte formed shortly after the presentation by Percy

Schmeiser, a Canadian farmer who claims his canola farm was contaminated by

genetically engineered seed.

 

Genetic engineering is the splicing of genes from one plant or animal into

another. Commonly genetically engineered foods include corn and canola,

which are spliced with genes that are immune to the herbicide Roundup. Then

the chemical can be sprayed on the fields and only the " Roundup ready " seeds

will survive.

 

With the measure slated for the November ballot, unless the Board of

Supervisors approves it without a vote, the group plans to start a campaign

to talk about the issue including guest speakers, film viewing, tables at

local supermarkets and group presentations.

 

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Biotech crop ban makes Butte ballot

It would bar the new seeds in a key rice-growing county

...

By Mike Lee -- Sacramento Bee Staff Writer

Friday, June 18, 2004

 

Mendocino County's ban of biotech crops has been cloned: Butte County has

validated enough signatures for a November ballot measure that would

prohibit genetically engineered crops in the heart of rice country,

activists said Thursday.

 

The ballot measures and congressional legislation introduced Thursday by a

farm-state senator signal continuing public discomfort about holes and

secrecy in the regulatory system for biotech foods. The problems were

highlighted last week in The Bee's series about genetic engineering.

 

U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., wants to force companies to submit their

new biotech foods to the Food and Drug Administration for review before

marketing them, a change from the current voluntary process.

 

" We need to understand more of what is going on, " said Lou Ann Choss, a

massage therapist in the Butte County community of Paradise.

 

Choss and her like-minded friends announced the county had certified more

than enough signatures - 7,981 - for a November ballot measure that would

ban cultivation of genetically engineered crops. Butte County supervisors

have the option to adopt the measure or send it to the ballot.

 

If successful, Butte would follow Mendocino County, which banned biotech

crops in March. Anti-biotech organizers in Humboldt County say they are

nearly ready to submit 8,000 signatures for a similar November ballot.

 

The effort in Butte is arguably the most significant in California because

the county is a leading rice producer. Companies reportedly are close to

marketing genetically engineered rice immune to popular herbicides -

products that some Butte farmers no doubt would embrace.

 

Choss said the decision to seek a ban was based on fears about the spread of

biotech genes to non-biotech crops and the implications for organic

consumers trying to avoid engineered food. Those fears were crystallized by

the recent efforts of a Sacramento biotech company to boost production of

rice laced with common human proteins.

 

" This isn't just a bunch of granola-eaters who want to stop scientific

research, " Choss said. " It's a broader scope across all lines in the farming

community, organic as well as conventional. "

 

The Biotechnology Industry Organization, a trade group based in Washington,

D.C., is watching Butte for now and didn't rule out a fall election

campaign.

 

" We feel strongly that farmers should have the right to choose the types of

crops they want to grow, whether it's conventional or biotech or organic, "

said spokeswoman Deb Carstoiu.

 

Durbin took a different approach to regulating biotechnology, which mostly

is done by federal agencies. His bill would force companies to alert the FDA

when they want to market a new biotech food and give the public time to

comment. It's up to companies if they want to tell the FDA about a biotech

product, and the FDA does little independent verification of company

science.

 

Biotech industry watchdog Greg Jaffe at the Center for Science in the Public

Interest in Washington, D.C., said the bill offered a sensible, streamlined

and transparent way to regulate biotech foods.

 

But at the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a major food trade group in

Washington, D.C., spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said Durbin's tinkering with

the regulatory system isn't needed. " Overall, we are confident that the FDA

..... has had an adequate review " of products on the market, she said.

 

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Durbin bill seeks federal review of genetically modified foods

 

St. Louis Business Journal

Thursday, June 17, 2004

 

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced new legislation Thursday that he

said would increase consumer confidence in the safety of genetically

modified foods.

 

The Genetically Engineered Foods Act would require a mandatory Food and Drug

Administration review of all genetically modified foods as well as an

environmental review for genetically modified animals as part of the safety

approval process. In addition, the public would be informed of the decisions

made in the process and would have the opportunity to comment, Durbin said.

 

" Genetically engineered foods have become a major part of the American food

supply in recent years, and many of the foods we consume now contain

genetically engineered ingredients, " said Durbin, in a statement. " These

foods have been enhanced with important qualities that help farmers grow

crops more efficiently. However, they have also raised significant concerns

as to the safety of these foods and the adequacy of government oversight. "

 

Durbin said an improved regulatory system for genetically modified foods

would boost consumer confidence, give federal agencies legal authority to

deal with the technology, give developers of the products a predictable path

to approval and provide a process to detect problems.

 

The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest said it

backed the bill.

 

" Although the United States is the world leader in producing genetically

engineered foods, it is the only developed country where those foods can be

marketing to consumers without government approval, " said Gregory Jaffe,

director of the center's biotechnology project, in a statement. " The Durbin

bill gives the federal government the authority to ensure that genetically

engineered crops and animals are safe before they are eaten without

burdening the biotechnology industry with an unnecessarily costly and

lengthy regulatory process. "

 

***************************************************************

 

UNITED STATES SENATOR ILLINOIS

DICK DURBIN

P R E S S R E L E A S E

----------

----

 

DURBIN CALLS FOR MANDATORY SCREENING, IMPROVED FDA OVERSIGHT OF GENETICALLY

ENGINEERED FOODS

Senator Introduces New Legislation to Boost Consumer Confidence in Safety of

Genetically Engineered Foods, Animals

June 17, 2004

 

[Washington, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced new

legislation to boost consumer confidence in the safety of genetically

engineered foods and genetically engineered animals that may enter the food

supply.

 

" Genetically engineered foods have become a major part of the American food

supply in recent years, and many of the foods we consume now contain

genetically engineered ingredients. These foods have been enhanced with

important qualities that help farmers grow crops more efficiently. However,

they have also raised significant concerns as to the safety of these foods

and the adequacy of government oversight, " said Durbin. " Make no mistake,

our country has been blessed with one of the safest and most abundant food

supplies in the world, but as new technologies and processes emerge, we must

make sure food safety remains on the front burner. "

 

Durbin's bill, the Genetically Engineered Foods Act, would require a Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) review of all genetically engineered foods and

an environmental review to be conducted as part of the safety approval

process for genetically engineered animals. In addition, Durbin's

legislation would create a transparent process that will better inform and

involve the public as decisions are made regarding the safety of all

genetically engineered foods and animals.

 

Currently, genetically engineered foods are screened by the FDA under a

voluntary consultation program. Durbin's legislation would make this review

program mandatory and strengthen government oversight in several important

ways:

 

... Mandatory Review: Producers of genetically engineered foods must receive

approval from the FDA before introducing their products into interstate

commerce. The FDA will ensure, based on the best scientific evidence, that

genetically engineered foods are as safe as comparable food products before

allowing them on the market.

 

... Public Involvement: Scientific studies and other materials submitted to

the FDA as part of the mandatory review of genetically engineered foods will

be made available for public review and comment. Members of the public can

submit any new information on genetically engineered foods not previously

available to the FDA and request a new review of a particular genetically

engineered food product even if that food is already on the market.

 

... Testing: The FDA, in conjunction with other federal agencies, will be

given the authority to conduct scientifically-sound testing to determine

whether genetically engineered foods are inappropriately entering the food

supply.

 

... Communication: The FDA and other federal agencies will establish a

registry of genetically engineered foods to allow easy access to information

about those foods that have been cleared for market. The genetically

engineered food review process will be fully transparent, providing the

public with access to all non-confidential information.

 

... Environmental Review with Respect to Animals: The FDA has a mandatory

review process in place that is used to review the safety of genetically

engineered animals before they can enter the food supply. However, this bill

will provide the FDA with additional oversight authorities during the safety

approval process to be used to address the potential environmental impact of

genetically engineered animals.

 

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Initiative on Food and

Biotechnology, 89% of Americans support a mandatory pre-market approval

process conducted by the FDA to ensure the safety of genetically engineered

foods. A recent report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest

recommended that no food crop be used to produce pharmaceuticals or

industrial compounds until the FDA has conducted a food safety risk

assessment on that crop. Durbin said both issues were addressed in his

legislation.

 

The Illinois lawmaker said that an improved regulatory system for

genetically engineered foods will boost consumer confidence in biotechnology

derived foods, give federal agencies clear legal authority to deal with new

technology, give developers of genetically engineered foods an unambiguous

and predictable pathway to approval and provide a process to detect problems

even after genetically engineered foods are approved.

 

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