January 16, 2009
USDA lengthens process to implement new biotech plant rule
The US Department of Agriculture has extended the process by 60 days for implementing its plan to broaden its authority to deal with potential threats from genetically engineered organisms, the USDA said Thursday (January 15).
Cindy Smith, administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or Aphis, said the extension was made in response to the massive public response to the rule. She said USDA was looking for even more public feedback.
"We received more than 15,000 comments during the initial comment period on our proposed changes to our biotechnology regulations," Smith said in a prepared statement. "That shows the significance of this proposal."
The rule proposal, unveiled by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in October, is an attempt by the agency to extend its oversight to cover genetically modified insects and additional genetically modified plants that currently fall outside of USDA's current purview.
Most of the genetically engineered plants that Aphis currently regulates are crop plants, such as corn and soy that have been modified to increase tolerances for herbicides or pesticides.
One of the threats the USDA agency is concerned with, spokeswoman Rachel Iadicicco said in October, is that genetically modified organisms begin to act like plant pests or noxious weeds.
USDA, in the rule proposal, said: "Conceivably, noxious weeds growing in crop fields could potentially threaten public health, for example, if toxic parts of the noxious weeds are harvested and inadvertently enter the food supply."
