EPA-GMO corn little or no impact on Monarch Butterflies

[Ron Gatrelle]

Hi - Rich   Actually it is not a dead horse as long any one "side's" information is later demonstrated to be false. After that, for those in error to continue to spread falsehood just exposes them as frauds or people trying to make a buck off sensationalism. And if they will lie about one thing they will lie about anything.

I Thank you very much for posting this. Not because it fits a side I favor - but because I need all the information to make up my own mind. Personally, I don't like genetically engineered anything. 
Ron

--- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Worth 
  To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu 
  Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 1:52 PM
  Subject: Fwd: EPA-GMO corn little or no impact on Monarch Butterflies


  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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