Environmental impact statement finds no issues with Roundup Ready alfalfa

By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press

The USDA has found that genetically modified alfalfa does not pose an environmental threat and should be deregulated, according to a draft environmental impact statement released on Dec. 14.

The finding comes nearly three years after a federal judge in California ruled the agency had violated federal law by deregulating the crop without conducting a full environmental impact statement.

In a draft version of the statement, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said re-commercializing two lines of alfalfa, both tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate, would not have a significant impact on the environment.

The lines were developed by Monsanto and marketed under the Roundup Ready brand until the court injunction blocked further sales in early 2007.

USDA said the probability of crossbreeding between Roundup Ready alfalfa and conventional varieties is low. The genetically modified crop won't significantly contribute to herbicide-tolerant weeds or increased herbicide use, the agency said.

The Center for Food Safety, a plaintiff in the original complaint against the USDA, expected the agency to arrive at a different conclusion under the Obama administration, said Zelig Golden, attorney for the activist group.

"It's really clear that's not the case, and it's really disappointing," he said.

The draft statement was expected to be opened for public comment on Dec. 18. The USDA must evaluate and respond to those comments before the agency can issue a final version of the statement and deregulate the crop.

Before the draft statement was released, Monsanto appealed the injunction against Roundup Ready alfalfa to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Golden expects that case will become moot upon completion of the statement.

Garrett Kasper, spokesman for Monsanto, said the company will press on with the appeal irrespective of the draft EIS even though it's a "step in the right direction."

The process could still drag on for some time and the final version of the EIS must still be reviewed by the court -- at which point the injunction may or may not be lifted, he said.

"We're not going to speculate on the judge's decision," said Kasper.