Tell USDA to Keep Drugs Out of Our Food!

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

USDA needs public comments by March 7 on the first US commercial

release of genetically engineered (GE) pharmaceutical, drug-producing

Safflower for growing to start in Washington State where many farms

grow organic safflower. The Union of Concerned Scientists has a

message for sending comments on the commercial GE pharmaceutical

Safflower crop proposal below.

 

Tell the USDA to Keep Drugs Out of Our Food!

> Hello!

>

> I thought you might be interested in this alert from the

Union

> of Concerned Scientists. Please send a letter today to USDA

> Secretary Mike Johanns and urge him to protect the food

supply

> from contamination by pharmaceutical crops. If you go to the

URL

> below you can check out the details and send your own

message.

>

> Then please forward this email to ten friends. We really need

> your help to spread the word. Take action today at

>

http://ucsaction.org/campaign/2_21_07pharma_safflower?rk=gdeHO4615_zYW

 

The USDA has a Draft Environmental Assessment on a permit

application (06-250-02r) from SemBioSys, Inc. for field-test to

produce carp growth hormone in GE Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)

seeds. The Canadian govn't evidently rejected growing this crop in

Canada over concerns it would contaminate organic safflower crops and

ruin their markets.

 

GE Pharm Safflower will be grown in three counties in Washington,

Grant, Douglas and Lincoln, but it can easily and quickly spread well

beyond the ten farms by seeds, animals, bees, storm, wind and rain

mechanisms.

 

The GE safflower oil is a threat to organic safflower growers,

food producers and consumers.

 

You can submit comments to the USDA Docket by March 7, 2007

expressing personal concerns over growing of the GE safflower on ten

farms in Washington State where the acreage of the GE safflower crop

may total 1,000 acres.

 

Go to the web page of the Union of Concerned Scientists at to

submit comments to USDA:

http://ucsaction.org/campaign/2_21_07pharma_safflower

 

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION as soon as possible since the

deadline is March 7th. USDA will accept comments postmarked or emailed

after March 7th but it is not legally bound to consider them.

 

Thanks,

 

Neil Carman, Ph.D.

Volunteer scientist on Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering

Committee

http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech

1202 San Antonio street

Austin, Texas 78701

512-472-1767 Phone

512-477-8526 Fax

Email: Neil_Carman