EPA fines two US firms for biotech crop mistakes
Date: 16-Dec-02
Country: USA
Author: Randy Fabi
The action comes a week after the U.S. Agriculture Department fined a
Texas biotech company for allegedly contaminating soybeans with a new
corn plant engineered to produce medicine.
U.S. consumer advocates, environmentalists and food groups have urged
the government to toughen its biotech regulations to ensure no
unapproved crops seep into the food supply.
Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Dow AgroSciences are the first seed
companies to be charged by the EPA for violating regulations imposed
to keep unapproved biotech crops from seeping into nearby U.S.
farmland.
Pioneer, a unit of chemical giant DuPont Co. (DD.N) agreed to pay
$9,900 in civil penalties. Dow AgroSciences, a division of Dow
Chemical Co. (DOW.N), was fined $8,800 in civil penalties.
The EPA said there was no evidence that any commercial crops were
contaminated by the experimental corn. But under the settlement,
Pioneer must perform additional crop testing to ensure its unapproved
corn did not taint other fields.
"EPA required strict conditions in these particular permits to
maximize containment to ensure that no pollen from the experimental
corn is transferred to other corn," said Wayne Nastri, administrator
for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region.
In the agreement, both seed companies neither admit nor deny any
wrongdoing.
The EPA accused Pioneer of planting its experimental corn crop too
close to where conventional crops were grown.
Dow AgroSciences allegedly did not isolate its insect-resistant corn
variety properly and failed to plant enough trees to prevent cross
contamination. The company said it did not seek EPA's approval in the
Hawaii planting, thinking it met federal regulations.
The company was "taking steps to ensure that it does not happen
again," said Pete Siggelko, a Dow AgroSciences vice president.
Pioneer was not immediately available for comment.
Consumer activists said the EPA should have been tougher with the
companies.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said EPA's "puny fines"
would not prevent biotech companies from making similar mistakes in
the future.
"EPA needs to institute a strong inspection and compliance program if
the food supply and the environment are to be protected from (biotech)
crop experiments," said Gregory Jaffe, the group's biotechnology
project director.
Biotech crops are regulated by several federal offices.
The EPA has jurisdiction over plants engineered to produce pesticides,
while the USDA is responsible for overseeing field trials of
experimental biotech crops. The Food and Drug Administration has
authority over the safety of foods produced from biotech crops.
On Friday, the U.S. Agriculture Department issued its first fine
against a biotech company for improperly planting experimental crops.
Privately owned ProdiGene Inc. agreed to pay a $250,000 fine, plus an
estimated $2.8 million to buy and destroy contaminated soybeans in
Nebraska.