Press Releases
Lucas Pleased with USDA's Decision on Roundup Ready Alfalfa
Washington, DC,
January 27, 2011
Chairman Frank Lucas issued the following statement in response to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Roundup Ready alfalfa.
MEDIA CONTACT: Today, Chairman Frank Lucas issued the following statement in response to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Roundup Ready alfalfa. The agency will fully deregulate the product. "Genetically engineered alfalfa has been subjected to an extensive multi-year review and the conclusion has always been the same: it’s safe. A product that has been repeatedly found to be safe should be deregulated. I am pleased that USDA used sound science and respected the limit of its statutory authority to make this decision," said Chairman Frank D. Lucas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) concluded in a final environmental impact statement (EIS) that genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa does not pose a plant pest risk. Typically, if a product is found to not be a plant pest, USDA deregulates it thereby making it available for commercialization. The House Agriculture Committee held a public forum on January 20 to explore the issue in advance of USDA’s decision. ### |