A Federal District Judge on Wednesday ordered that sugar beet seedlings planted in violation of federal law must be destroyed. The preliminary injunction issued by Judge Jeffrey S. White was the result of a lawsuit filed in September by Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety.
The USDA allowed the seedlings to be planted in order to produce seed for Roundup Ready sugar beets without preparing an Environmental Impact Statement. The court previously ruled that USDA failing to require such a statement was a violation of NEPA. USDA argued that the seedlings had no actual impact because they were not a part of the sugar beet crop cycle, but Judge White held that allowing the crop to remain in the ground would involve too much risk of cross-contamination between GE sugar beets and other non-modified crops.
To read the opinion, click here.
Posted: 12/2/10
