Tech | December 01, 2010 | 47 comments

Court orders removal of genetically engineered sugar beet seed crop; finds government and Monsanto rushed to illegally plant herbicide resistant crop

source: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SBII-ORDER-granting-preliminar...

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JanforGore
Today Federal District Judge Jeffrey S. White issued a preliminary injunction ordering the immediate destruction of hundreds of acres of genetically engineered (GE) sugar beet seedlings planted in September after finding the seedlings had been planted in violation of federal law.

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SBII-ORDER-grantin...

The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety on behalf of a coalition of farmers, consumers, and conservation groups. The lawsuit was filed on September 9, shortly after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed it had allowed the seedlings to be planted.

The court outlined the many ways in which GE sugar beets could harm the environment and consumers, noting that containment efforts were insufficient and past contamination incidents were "too numerous" to allow the illegal crop to remain in the ground. In his court order, Judge White noted, "farmers and consumers would likely suffer harm from cross-contamination" between GE sugar beets and non-GE crops. He continued, "the legality of Defendants’ conduct does not even appear to be a close question," noting that the government and Monsanto tried to circumvent his prior ruling, which made GE sugar beets illegal.

Paul Achitoff of Earthjustice, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said, "USDA thumbed its nose at the judicial system and the public by allowing this crop to be grown without any environmental review. Herbicide resistant crops just like this have been shown to result in more toxic chemicals in our soil and water. USDA has shown no regard for the environmental laws, and we're pleased that Judge White ordered the appropriate response."

Plaintiff Center for Food Safety's Senior Staff Attorney George Kimbrell said, "Today’s decision is a seminal victory for farmers and the environment and a vindication of the rule of law. The public interest has prevailed over USDA's repeated efforts to implement the unlawful demands of the biotech industry."

The plaintiffs—The Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and the Sierra Club—had immediately sought a court order to halt the planting. On September 28 Judge White ruled that USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by allowing the plantings without analyzing the potential environmental, health, and socioeconomic impacts of growing GE sugar beets. udge White heard testimony from the parties during a three-day hearing in November before issuing today’s ruling.

Monsanto created Roundup Ready crops to withstand its Roundup herbicide (with the active ingredient glyphosate), which it then sells to farmers together with its patented seed, for which it charges farmers a substantial "technology fee." Earlier this year, the Department of Justice announced it had opened a formal investigation into possible anticompetitive practices in Monsanto’s use of such patented crops. Growing previous Roundup Ready crops such as soy, cotton, and corn have led to greater use of herbicides. It also has led to the spread of herbicide resistant weeds on millions of acres throughout the United States and other countries where such crops are grown, and contamination of conventional and organic crops, which has been costly to U.S. farmers. There is also evidence that such herbicide-resistant crops may be more susceptible to serious plant diseases.

In an earlier case the court ruled that USDA had violated NEPA by allowing the crop to be commercialized without first preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In August the court made any future planting and sale unlawful until USDA complies with federal law. (USDA has said it expects to complete an EIS in spring 2012.) But almost immediately after the ruling, USDA issued permits allowing companies to plant seedlings to produce seed for future Roundup Ready sugar beet crops, even though the crops are still illegal to grow, and no EIS has been prepared. The seed growers rushed to plant the seed crop in Oregon and Arizona, apparently hoping to outrun the legal action to stop it. In this latest case, USDA argued that the seedlings were separate from the rest of the sugar beet crop cycle and had no impact by themselves, but Judge White rejected this. He found that the law requires USDA to analyze the impacts of not only the seedlings, but the rest of the Roundup Ready
sugar beet production process as well, before any part of that process can begin.

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47 comments // Court orders removal of genetically engineered sugar beet seed crop; finds government and Monsanto rushed to illegally plant herbicide resistant crop

  • treewolf39
    • 0
      treewolf39  

    • Oh now I am pissed ! They brought their illegal beet crop to Oregon. Where the Hell is the Oregon Justice to throw these criminals out? Federal crime. How can they just jump States?

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • treewolf39
    • +1
      treewolf39  
    • JanforGore:

      They're still criminals even if the powers that be can not see it yet. We must continue to expose them with truth and video. I need to write to my Senators to see why they are not pushing for legal action against this obvious criminal enterprise.

    • 2 years ago
  • lunaticrichard
  • lunaticrichard
  • im1mjrpain
    • +1
      im1mjrpain  

    • Now, the Obama Administration is putting two notorious biotech bullies in charge of food safety! Former Monsanto lobbyist Michael Taylor has been appointed as a senior adviser to the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner on food safety. And, rBGH-using dairy farmer and Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff is rumored to be President Obama’s choice for Under-Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety. Wolfe spearheaded anti-consumer legislation in Pennsylvania that would have taken away the rights of consumers to know whether their milk and dairy products were contaminated with Monsanto’s (now Eli Lilly’s) genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • lunaticrichard
    • +2
      lunaticrichard  

    • i can't believe Munsanto is not the most watched and monitor'd company in the world. just look at the thier fuck up's in the past . they should be banned from busines for ever !

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • artemis6
  • EdJoyProductions
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  
    • Image

    • http://current.com/technology/92830708_monsanto-defeated-in-germany.htm

      This on the heels of the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany reaffirming that the German precautionary GE law in Germany is constitutional. They also acknowledged the longterm risks of GMOS and farmers who contaminante crops are held liable. Now gee, what was all that 'BS" about "substantial equivalence?" The USDA and FDA should see this and be very ashamed and actually wake up to the fact that by putting Monsanto and this unstable technology first they are not only jeopardizing our longterm environmental health but also our economic health. And more and more people are also seeing this every day.

      STOP MESSING WITH NATURE, or it will MESS YOU BACK.

    • 2 years ago
  • im1mjrpain
    • +1
      im1mjrpain  
    • JanforGore:

      The USDA and FDA should see this and be very ashamed and actually wake up to the fact ....
      I'm pretty sure they know exactly what's going on. They just don't care to them it's about money.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • im1mjrpain
    • 0
      im1mjrpain  
    • JanforGore:

      Why do you feel like you are smarter then me? You are 2x my age (at least) by your looks probably 3x. I just turned 18 last month... do you even remember 18? You damn sure weren't online at 18. So relax grandma... by the time I get your ripe tender age I'm sure I'll know a lot more. Thanks in advance for your understanding. You probably went to high school with AG ... Stop being a curmudgeon all the time. News flash you get better results with honey as opposed to something sour and nasty like your face. Thanks for taking that pic down.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • +1
      JanforGore  
    • im1mjrpain:

      18? Do you talk to your mother that way? I bet you do. And you know what? I am about 3x your age and have lived more life and learned more. Attacking that only shows what you are. You've got a lot to learn.

    • 2 years ago
  • lunaticrichard
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  
    • lunaticrichard:

      When I get it from him, I'll give it. Calling someone a curmudgeon, old, ugly, etc.which he did on other threads as well when I said nothing is not respectful. He has a history here of that. So with all due respect I do not need to be told how to respond here.

    • 2 years ago
  • lamborghini
  • lamborghini
  • Christopher_Neetz
    • +3
      Christopher_Neetz  

    • Simply put, genetically engineered food is not natural. Living food is part of a habitat and environment and ecosystem. Grow your own food people, while you still can! Eat locally, with variety and from the earth. Or least attempt, I don't know.

    • 2 years ago
  • Miguel_Zayas
    • -1
      Miguel_Zayas  
    • Christopher_Neetz:

      People have been genetically engineering food since the dawn of the modern man. All of our food from today comes from carefully breeding crops to our desires. In fact, broccoli, cauliflower, and other plants were cultivated from the same mustard seed type plant. Perhaps what you mean to say is that altering a plants genetic information without fully knowing the ramifications by careful study in a contained laboratory is potentially harmful. That I would agree with.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • lunaticrichard
    • 0
      lunaticrichard  
    • Christopher_Neetz:

      although i agree , i am afraid that we will have no choice in the matter . if you see how we messed up our crops and made them resistent to almost everything , we will have no choice but to plant the engineerd shit in the long run. the majority of people don't even think about thier food and what they eat . if it's cheap ,it's good !!
      it will only get worse....

    • 2 years ago
  • trut
  • im1mjrpain
  • artemis6
  • JanforGore
  • dsfwefopk
  • JanforGore
  • caverat101
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • +6
      JanforGore  

    • This is Frank Morton, a farmer who was also part of the suit which also included GE alfalfa. This is an informative video. It gives me hope to see good people like him fighting these bastards to preserve our seeds.

    • 2 years ago
  • VoyagerFilms
    • +4
      VoyagerFilms  

    • Good for Federal District Judge Jeffrey S. White, more power to him and long shall he live.

      Down with Monsanto. Don't they know, "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature"!

    • 2 years ago
  • AmericanStandard
    • +5
      AmericanStandard  

    • when you say Monsanto and the USDA what do you mean? Monsanto is the USDA and the FDA. Wake the fuck up people!! There is little or no distinction between the government and big business. There are no Dem/Republicans it is all just political theatre. With our technology we could implement a true democracy where everyone could vote or at least peer review the descisoins of government officials.

    • 2 years ago
  • riverratt50
  • CalgarC
    • +6
      CalgarC  

    • am i reading this correctly... i either need a drink or need to stop drinking this is amazing news... obviously monsatan will appeal. but lets take them down

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • CalgarC
  • artemis6
  • PressCore
    • +5
      PressCore  

    • Monsanto & the U.S.D.A.= crooks & liars hell bent on making our USA
      the prison planet capital of the Earth, and our people their inmates.
      That new Constitutional Amendment which Virginia and 9 other States
      are gathering support for is looking more and more to be the solution
      to the cesspool of Corporate Gummint corruption. What we need are
      the realy big States like Texas, California, New York, Alaska to put their
      weight behind it and push hard...Cheating people of their Social Security,
      U.I., benefits, food stamps etc are is the lamest, most crooked ideas that
      Millionaires in their ivory towers could dream up.

    • 2 years ago
  • toyotabedzrock
  • PressCore
    • +2
      PressCore  
    • toyotabedzrock:

      Well, duh, isn't that the point ? The founding fathers designed a legal system
      based on an uninterupted cycle to preserve their Charter law, the Constitution.
      The States who established the Constitution, and in it, to design what the
      Federal overnment's basic design would be, put We the People in the
      Preamble so that the Federal Government would understand that, as
      Lincoln said, " All authority the Government has derived directly from
      the people's consent to be governed " They believed in a small, core
      Government, which wouldn't be a bullseye that even the poorest shots
      couldn't miss even if they weren't aiming.

      The Corporations which dominate the business scene have used Organized
      Crime to establish their " Corporate personhood ", their stollen money to buy
      & sell Congressional seats, and the Presidency. They've even indirectly chosen
      the members of SCOTUS so that money=votes. But there's one essential thing
      the Corporation Party can't do. And that is to eliminate the supporting pyramid
      that keeps them in their elevated position as bean counters. To overrule the
      SCOTUS, the founding fathers designed the Constitutional Convention which
      Virginia, Texas and 8 other States have begun mobilizing so that We the People, through those States we are citizens of, can reestablish the proper checks &
      balances system which the Corporation Party has subverted.

      The Repeal Amendment was originaly sought by the States that joined the Confederacy when the Union & their central Banksters couldn't stop their Ponzi
      Scheme that later became readapted as the invention of an international cartel
      of Banksters, aka " the Fed " We know that the Federal Reserve Act established
      their Trojan Horse on our shores. And that their saboteur idea of supposedly
      being the " lender of last resort " which evolved into the printer of first Monopoly "
      created " debt based money ". All honest people know that money=equity,
      not debt. The reason why Gold & Silver bullion coins used to be in circulation
      was because people didn't trust banks. But I've lived in Switzerland where their
      currency is backed by Gold & Silver as commodities, by banks you can trust.

      Think of the Federal Reserve System as a reverse mortgage which
      people of very advanced age use to remain in their homes for only as long
      as they live because they have no heirs to bequeath it to, so they've sold
      out their House & Land to Bankers. Selling what they don't own is a specialty
      of Corporations like the ABC network. THEY'RE THIEVES !!! So of course,
      campaign contributions would be highest on the agenda of the States, and
      We the People, per se. We need for New York, and California to join Texas
      and Virginia and the other 8 States to push this Repeal Amendment forward.
      Congress shouldn't be a place where people seek to get elected to to become Millionaires, and then claim that tax cuts for Millionaires are the first priority for
      them to deal with. Sen.Franken has spoken out against that. We're on his side.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • CalgarC
  • JanforGore
  • CalgarC
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