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Re: Richard Wolfson <rwolfson@concentric.net>: LEGAL ACTION AGA



Daniel et al.  I am confused on this.  The latest issue of Agronomy 
News (put out monthly by the Amer. Soc. Agronomy, a mainstream 
organization) starts out with an article entitled:

EPA officials adamant on Plant Pesticide Rule

the jist of which is that the EPA has ruled, ***and refused to 
reconsider under strong industry pressure***, that:  

a "plant pesticide" is "a pesticidal substance that is produced in a 
living plant and the genetic materia necessary for the production of 
the substance, where the substance is intended for use in the living 
plant", specifically exempting traits between ***sexually compatible 
plants***.  

This exemption means that the EPA is specifically targeting 
resistance derived from transgenic, recombinant DNA (e.g. BT crops) 
as "plant pesticides" which are under the jurisdiction of the EPA, in 
a new Plant Pesticide Rule.  They are thus making a clear distinction 
between breeding for resistance in traditional means and that 
produced by transgenic manipulations.

So - I am confused.  Why are we attacking the EPA for endangerment, 
at a time when they seem to be standing up (on our behalf?) against 
the biotech industry?  Ann

ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
Dr. E. Ann Clark
Associate Professor
Crop Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON  N1G 2W1
Phone:  519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
FAX:  519 763-8933


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