Page 22—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 14, 2000
NCGA Welcomes EPA Report Showing
No Risk To Butterflies From Bt Corn
ST. LOUIS, Mo. Na
tional Corn Growers Associa
tion (NCGA) is welcoming a
report recently by the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) that refutes
claims about biotech’s al
leged impact on Monarch
butterflies.
In August, research by two
lowa State University ento
mologists suggested that Ba
cillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn
pollen might have an adverse
impact on Monarch butterfly
populations. However, in a
report released recently, the
EPA said that tests per
formed on Bt corn, cotton,
and potato crops confirm the
agency’s original findings
that there are “no unreason
able adverse effects” from
these products.
“Overall, the available in
formation indicated a very
low probability of risks to
Monarchs in areas beyond
the near-edge of cornfields,”
The EPA noted. “The agency
concludes that the published
preliminary Monarch toxicity
information is not sufficient
to cause undue concern of
widespread risks to Monarch
butterflies.”
Fred Yoder, NCGA corn
board member from Plain
City, Ohio, said the EPA
report is good news for corn
growers.
“The EPA is adding
credence to our assertions
that Bt technology is not det
rimental to butterflies and
other nontarget species,” he
said, adding NCGA’s sup
port of access to biotechnol
ogy and the stringent U.S.
regulatory process.
“NCGA fully supports the
science-based decision
making process employed by
the EPA in evaluating and
approving Bt technology,”
Yoder said. “NCGA supports
continued evaluation of all
agricultural production tech
niques as well as the avail
ability of biotechnology to
those who choose to imple
ment it.”
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National Grain Sorghum
Producers Elects Officers
LUBBOCK, Texas Leo
Bindel, a sorghum producer
from Sabetha, Kan., was
elected to lead National
Grain Sorghum Producers
(NGSP) as national president
during NGSP’s winter board
meeting in conjunction with
the 2000 Sorghum Industry
Conference recently in
Corpus Christi, Texas.
Bindel, who previously
served as vice president for
legislation, has served on the
NGSP board of directors for
six years.
Rounding out the officer
team are Dale Artho of Wil
dorado, Texas, who was re
elected as vice president for
domestic market develop
ment; Dale Spurgin of Allen,
Texas, who was elected to an
other term as vice president
for foreign market develop
ment; Ken Rose of Keyes,
Okla., who was re-elected as
vice president for research;
Bill Kubecka from Palacios,
Texas, who was elected as
vice president for legislation;
James Vorderstrasse of
Hebron, Neb., who was re
elected as NGSP secretary
treasurer; and, Ken Tevis, of
Hughesville, Mo., who will
serve the organization as past
president.
The NGSP board of direc
tors is made up of sorghum
producers from six states.
These representatives are
elected by their state associa
tions, with board representa
tion based on the number of
members from each state.
States with sorghum checkoff
programs that provide finan
cial support to NGSP also
have representation on the
board, although checkoff rep
resentatives do not vote on
legislative issues.
NGSP is the national or
ganization for U.S. sorghum
producers.
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