Biotech Seeks to Overturn Hawaii County GMO-Banning Law b4in.org/q4o6 Hawaii’s big island currently has a law restricting the use of genetically modified crops. Mayor Billy Kenoi signed Bill 113 into effect late last year. Now, several Big Ag groups and farmers have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking to overturn the GMO ban. This is the second lawsuit against a hardly six-month old law prohibiting GMOs. The law was meant to protect families by restricting open-air testing (which causes cross-pollination of organic crops) and most outdoor uses of biotech’s brainchild. A previous lawsuit was brought to a Hilo Circuit Court in March which challenges the law’s current requirement that exempted growers (using virus-resistant papaya that was left out of the GMO ban) register their crops with the county. The lawsuit seeks to reverse the registry requirement and a temporary restraining order was granted by the court. Both lawsuits will continue simultaneously. The plaintiffs in the federal case — including organizations representing Big Island nurseries, papaya and banana growers, as well as cattle ranchers — are arguing that the ban on most modified crops puts the county in conflict with federal and state laws in addition to the science of biotechnology. The lawsuit says the law is “backed by no findings or evidence that GE (genetically engineered) crops are in any way harmful, or in any way endanger the local environment.” You can bet that these farmers are backed by the biotech industry who has a vested interest in keeping the lie that ‘GM is safe’ in circulation. More b4in.org/q4o6
Posted on: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 12:01:02 +0000
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