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TALKING
POINTS FOR PRESS RELEASE OF REPORT
ON
FEBRUARY 22, 2002
The
USDA is pleased to receive the report Environmental Impacts
Associated with Commercialization of Transgenic Plants: Issues and
Approaches to Monitoring and Assessment done by the NAS. It will
provide valuable input as we continually update our approaches to
regulatory review.
We
look forward to evaluating this report thoroughly and plan to
respond to the recommendations and issues raised.
The
work of the NAS to review the scientific scope and adequacy of the
APHIS' review of environmental issues is very important as the USDA
moves into evaluating the second generation of transgenic plants.
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture welcomes the input from the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) on the Environmental Effects of
Commercialization of Transgenic Plants.
The
NAS has a history of providing useful scientific advice to the
government on biotechnology.
The
report acknowledges that all plants produced through either more
traditional breeding or modern biotechnology are genetically modified.
The
NAS makes some recommendations for agencies to consider; some of
these recommendations are specific and some are more general in nature.
It
reaffirms that the risks associated with plants produced through
modern biotechnology are the same in kind as those produced through
other techniques.
It
reaffirms that genetic engineering, in and of itself, does not
present unique risks.
It
reaffirms that the U.S. regulatory process should continue to focus
on the characteristics of the organism, the trait, and the
environment into which it is introduced.
The
U.S. government has always been committed to a regulatory process
that can evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by
cutting-edge technologies. In this light, APHIS will review the
recommendations by the NAS carefully.
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