In a seminal study of gene contamination from genetically engineered creeping bentgrass, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found evidence of “multiple instances at numerous locations of long-distance viable pollen movement from multiple source fields of GM (genetically modified) creeping bentgrass.” The bentgrass being studied is engineered to resist Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Center for Food Safety (CFS) and others seeking to halt open-air trials of the turf grass.
“The EPA has just shown that genetically engineered bentgrass will contaminate numerous related species over vast areas and prove to be completely uncontrollable,” said Joseph Mendelson, legal director at Center for Food Safety. “The only prudent course of action at this point is for the USDA to halt all new bentgrass field trials until it undertakes a full environmental impact statement for each field test.”
In January of 2003, CFS, International Center for Technology Assessment and other individuals and organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to halt field trials of engineered bentgrass until the USDA completed full environmental review prior to allowing such field trials. The case is currently pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and has been delayed by the USDA’s refusal to hand over preliminary documents used by the agency to review the safety of the engineered grass field trials. The lawsuit can be viewed here.
As noted in the findings of the EPA investigators: “This Study documents gene flow on a landscape level from creeping bentgrass, one of the first wind-pollinated, perennial, and highly outcrossing transgenic crops being developed for commercial use. Most of the gene flow occurred within 2 km (1.2 miles) in the direction of prevailing winds. The maximal gene flow distances observed were 21 km (13 miles) and 14 km (9) in sentinel and resident plants, respectively, that were located in primarily nonagronomic habitats. In this study, we present evidence that documents multiple instances at numerous locations of long-distance viable pollen movement from multiple source fields of GM creeping bentgrass.”
“The USDA must end the secrecy surrounding these genetically engineered plants and tell the public just what happened with this bentgrass,” added Mendelson. “Transparency is especially needed in this instance since the contamination is a violation of the conditions imposed on Monsanto and Scotts for this field trial.”
Monsanto, Inc., and Scotts Co. have been trying unsuccessfully since May 2002, to get approval from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Biotechnology Regulatory Service for the highly controversial herbicide-resistant creeping bentgrass. Creeping bentgrass is a common golf course turf used on greens, fairways, and tee areas, and is broadly recognized as an invasive, non-native weed itself.
Because the grass has already invaded public lands around the country, commercial approval of the genetically engineered variety has been opposed by the two largest Federal land management agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). By engineering the bentgrass to be resistant to Monsanto’s leading weed killer, or Roundup, the companies have effectively stripped the land management agencies of the primary tool at their disposal for controlling the weed on public lands.
View lawsuit.
