OT - Stop the Introduction of GE Plums! - Deadline Mon. 17th

[Guest guest]

From what it says here, this would also spread to other countries in

North America certainly. As pollution seems to be able to spread across seas

i.e. D.U or deleted uranium, would seeds also do that? Only one would need to

make it.

blessings

Shan

Stop the commercial planting of genetically engineered plums - the first

temperate GE tree!

 

Correction: The deadline for public comment is Monday, July 17th.

We apologize for the incorrect day in the previous action alert.

 

The US Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments between now and

Monday, July 17, 2006 on a petition that would allow commercial growing and

marketing of the first genetically engineered (GE) plum trees. If approved,

this would remove all regulatory oversight of this GE variety by USDA, a

virus-resistant plum tree known as the Honey Sweet Pox Potyvirus Resistant plum.

This

would open the door to GE varieties of many other related stone fruits, such

as peaches, apricots, cherries and almonds, that are susceptible to the same

virus. Ironically, this virus is not even found in the US today according to the

USDA, and is certainly not a significant agricultural problem here.

 

The USDA admits that this GE plum will contaminate both organic and

conventional non-genetically engineered plum orchards if it is approved. Since

all

commercial plum trees are cultivars that are relatively cross compatible within

the same species, Prunus domestica, contamination via GE plum pollen carried by

bees and other insects will infiltrate the plum orchards of organic and

conventional growers. The proposed buffer zones between GE plums and other plums

will not prevent genetic contamination from being spread by pollinating insects.

Because this GE plum tree is also the first genetically engineered temperate

tree proposed for commercial planting, it also opens the door to the

commercialization of GE varieties of other temperate trees such as poplars,

pines, and

walnuts.

 

The one GE fruit tree that has previously been approved, a virus resistant

Hawaiian papaya, has caused extensive contamination of organic, conventional and

wild papaya orchards on most of the Hawaiian Islands in just a few years.

This contamination has spread far more quickly than the USDA predicted in its

initial assessment. Once native and cultivated plum varieties are contaminated

with transgenic pollen, and the resulting seeds are planted, there is no calling

it back.

 

This petition has implications for all other GE tree species, as the USDA and

the industry want to gauge what the public's reaction will be. It is critical

that all concerned about the threat of GE foods and GE trees respond to this

USDA petition. Several hundred field trials of GE trees have been conducted

already, many for forest trees, such as Poplar, Loblolly Pine, and Sweetgum,

that grow on millions of acres in natural environments in the U.S.

 

[sample Comments to submit below. Please add any additional comments of your

own, but remember to include the docket # at the top of your comments.]

 

The following comments are in reference to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0084.

I oppose the deregulation of genetically engineered plum trees for the

following reasons:

 

1. Genetic contamination is a serious threat. Flowers and fruit in organic

and conventional plum orchards will become contaminated with GE plum genes via

pollen transported by bees and other insects that travel several miles in

search of pollen. The result is that organic and conventional plum growers will

lose their markets for non-GE plums as DNA testing confirms the contamination,

as

it has with GE papayas in Hawaii. An organic tree might remain organic

itself, but the seeds will become contaminated, and the trees planted from these

seeds will have contaminated fruit.

 

2. The approval of GE plums would be a precedent setting step by USDA,

opening the floodgates for more GE trees including fruit, nut, ornamental,

paper-pulp, and timber species, as well as trees engineered for soil

remediation, and

other traits. Approximately 80 species and varieties of trees are currently

undergoing gene splicing research and development for commercial use. Many of

these are native species important to ecosystems in much of the U.S.

 

3. There is a serious concern about the genetic stability of the inserted

genes in GE plum trees. USDA claims that the plum pox viral resistance gene and

other inserted genes are sufficiently genetically stable, but the testing has

only been performed over ten years and not the entire pollen-producing life

span of a plum tree.

 

4. The plum pox virus is not currently known to exist in the US as a problem

for plum growers. Thus there is no justification for exposing other trees,

plants, insects and people to the various hazards posed by GE plums.

 

5. The deregulatory petition completely ignores potential effects on bees and

other pollinator species. Although unintended effects are common in GE crops

there is very little assessment of possible environmental impacts from

unintended effects. There are no studies that would allow us to evaluate the

potential hazards of GE tree pollen for a variety of insects, or for consumers

of

honey. We also do not know how animals and insects that browse on plum leaves

might be affected.

 

6. The USDA's environmental assessment admits that the GE plum readily

hybridizes within its species. Thus, there may be a significant potential for

gene

flow into native plum varieties. Wild plum trees are perennial species living

for several decades and populations exist in dozens of states from coast to

coast. GE plum trees will be long lived, and capable of contaminating orchards

and native plum tree populations for several decades. One GE plum tree will be

able to produce thousands of GE seeds and extensive quantities of GE pollen,

and will be capable of spreading fertile GE plum seeds and pollen into the

environment for many years. The petition did not adequately evaluate the

relative

fitness of GE plum varieties as compared to native plums; it is possible that

the GE varieties would become more successful in natural settings, and

out-compete non-GE varieties. The USDA claim that contamination would be

positive by

reducing potential reservoirs for harboring the plum pox virus in the wild is

unsupported by any data.

 

7. There has been no short-term or long-term safety testing or feeding trials

for toxicity and other adverse effects of the genes inserted into the GE plum

trees. GE plums have not been tested on animals, birds or humans for safety.

Toxicity tests are necessary since unintended genetic effects are known to

occur with gene splicing. USDA has ignored the need for scientific studies of

gene splicing and for comprehensive studies of the environmental consequences of

GE plantings.

 

The US Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments between now and

Monday, July 17, 2006 on the petition to formally deregulate and allow

commercial growing and marketing of GE plums.

 

We apologize for the inconvenient process to submit your comments - the USDA

is no longer accepting public comment via email or fax.

 

To submit a comment using the Internet,

go to http://www.regulations.gov./

 

and/or http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main

 

In the " Agency " box, select " Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service " from

the drop-down menu; select " NOTICES " as the Document Type, and

APHIS-2006-0084 as the " Keyword or ID. " Then press " submit " to submit or view

public

comments as well as the agency's supporting materials; click just beneath " Add

Comments " and scroll down to submit your letter.

 

To submit your comments via mail, make sure your letter is postmarked no

later than Monday, July 17th, and send an original and three copies with your

name

and address to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0084, Regulatory Analysis and

Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale,

MD

20737-1238.

 

Feel free to copy and paste any or all of the 7 points above, along with any

comments of your own. Please forward this widely among your friends and other

contacts.