Fwd: EPA-GMO corn little or no impact on Monarch Butterflies

[Richard Worth]

Hey all,

I thought folks might be interested in this latest release.  Seeing 
as how this "dead horse" still has involuntary twiches from time to 
time, I figured people could beat on it a little more until the 
silphids and flies won't even touch it. >;-)

Cheers, Rich

P.S.   I thoroughly enjoyed the Lep Soc Meeting and it seems a good 
time was had by all.


>
>Subject: biotech articles 7/21-27/01
>
>BIOTECH CORN
>July 24, 2001
>Associated Press.
>Philip Brasher
>ARLINGTON, Va. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was cited as
>saying Tuesday that Bt corn that is genetically engineered to make 
>its own pesticide poses little risk to monarch butterflies, and that 
>while there is a small chance that one in 100,000 monarch 
>caterpillars could be affected by toxic corn pollen, research 
>suggests even those larvae will mature into healthy butterflies.
>Zig Vaituzis, an EPA scientist who led a review of the crop's environmental
>impact, was quoted as saying, "The weight of evidence from the reviewed data
>indicate that there is no unreasonable hazard" to Monarchs or other 
>wildlife although one possible exception is the karner blue 
>butterfly, an endangered species that feeds on lupine plants that 
>could show up near corn crops in northern Wisconsin. Agency 
>officials were cited as saying they don't know how significant the 
>issue is but were consulting with the Fish and Wildlife Service on 
>whether to take action to protect the butterflies.
>The story recounts that Bt corn grabbed worldwide attention in 1999 after a
>laboratory study at Cornell University showed that pollen from the 
>corn would poison monarch larvae. That finding produced a public 
>outcry in Europe and calls from environmental groups to curb the 
>spread of genetically engineered crops.
>The story explains that the EPA's conclusion that the corn is 
>relatively harmless to monarch populations is based in part on field 
>studies coordinated last summer by the Agriculture Department in 
>Maryland, Iowa and Minnesota. Data from the studies have not been 
>published yet but were turned over to EPA for review.
>The agency has declined to release the data because of 
>confidentiality claims by biotech companies involved in the 
>research. Agency officials were cited as saying they hoped to 
>release the data before the Sept. 30 deadline for renewing the Bt 
>corn licenses.
>Critics of the biotech industry said the agency should not renew the 
>registrations until it has released the research data and allowed 
>the public to review and comment on it.
>Jane Rissler of the Union of Concerned Scientists was cited as saying that
>the two types of Bt corn that are up for renewal -- known in the 
>industry as Bt 11 and Mon 810 -- don't appear to produce enough 
>toxin to kill monarchs at pollen levels found in corn fields, 
>adding, "That's good news for monarchs."
>But she said the agency was not justified in allowing the continued planting
>of a third, more toxic type of Bt corn, developed by Syngenta. 
>Syngenta voluntarily dropped the product but has been given until 
>2003 to phase out its use.
>On the Net: EPA's biopesticide program:
>http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/biopesticides/index.htm

Richard A. Worth
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Plant Division
rworth at oda.state.or.us
(503) 986-6461
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