FEBRUARY 18, 16:41 EST
By JANELLE CARTER
AP Farm Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — A growing trend of genetically altering crops with an ingrown biological pesticide is too risky for the environment, a coalition of environmentalists and organic farmers charged in a lawsuit Thursday.
They want to force the government to end its approval of what are known as Bt crops.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by Greenpeace International, the Center for Food Safety and the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements charges the Environmental Protection Agency with ``wanton destruction'' of Bt, which it calls the ``world's most important biological pesticide.''
``This is just another short term fix that industry is willing to use up,'' said Jane Rissler, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Added Kalee Kreider, a Greenpeace spokeswoman, ``These crops are an environmental disaster waiting to happen.''
The complainants are concerned that using the pesticide in genetically altered plants poses environmental risks that will change the ecological balance as well as hurt organicfarmers who don't want to use genetically-altered products. They complain that EPA has failed to address their concerns since approving the product.
EPA approved the use of Bt in potatoes in 1995 and has since agreed to its use in corn and cotton.
The lawsuit demands that EPA cancel registration of all genetically engineered Bt plants; cease approval of any new Bt plants and immediately perform an environmental impact assessment.
``We can no longer sit idly by,'' said Joseph Mendelson, legal director for the Center for Food Safety. ``EPA has shown a blatant disregard for federal law and its own regulations by approving Bt crops without fully assessing their environmental safety.''
Bt is actually a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, that produces toxins to kill insects. It has been used for years as a spray by farmers and gardeners who like the fact that it kills insects while remaining nontoxic to mammals.
But the use of Bt has changed in recent years with advances in genetic engineering. Scientists are now able to develop plants that contain a gene for Bt toxin, giving the crops built-in protection.
The move has been controversial, however, as many groups have raised concerns that insects will become resistant to Bt, which would seriously hurt organic farmers who are permitted to use Bt insecticides as their only emergency pest control option.
An EPA spokesman defended the agency's decision.
``EPA carefully makes sure that the biotech products we review fully comply with all legal requirements designed to ensure that they are environmentally sound and environmentally beneficial,'' said spokesman Dave Cohen. ``We believe the actions we've taken with regard to Bt will be sustained against this legal challenge.''
Some organic farmers say an even bigger threat is pollination from the genetically-altered plant seeping from conventional farms to organic farms.
Charles Walker, president of Terra Firma Inc. — an organic food company in Hudson, Wis., said he was forced to recall over $100,000 worth of organic tortilla chips that had been contaminated with genetically-engineered corn. He blames pollination from another farm.
``Unless Bt corn is withdrawn, it will soon contaminate every corn field in the country,'' Walker said.
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