CFS FILES LAWSUIT TO STOP EPA APPROVAL "ENLIST DUO"'s DEADLY ROUNDUP-2,4-D GMO FOOD CROP COMBO

I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that despite hundreds of thousands of comments from people like you, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Monsanto and Dow Chemical’s new “Enlist Duo” herbicide which is a mixture of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup) and the even more toxic chemical 2,4-D, a component of “Agent Orange”used in the Vietnam war. The good news? Center for Food Safety filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against the EPA challenging this terrible decision! The chemical will be used on -- you guessed it -- Dow’s very own genetically engineered “Enlist” corn and soybeans, killing the weeds but not the crops, and increasing Dow’s profits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Dow’s genetically engineered corn and soybeans last month, making EPA’s approval of the herbicide the last step before Dow’s “Agent Orange” crops head to a supermarket near you. Sadly, our environmental watchdog is playing lapdog to the chemical industry, ignoring hundreds of thousands of comments urging it to do otherwise. When the EPA approved Enlist Duo, it knew this pesticide would contaminate our streams and rivers. There is absolutely no doubt that the pesticide will harm dozens of endangered species. We’ve fought approval of this toxic pesticide since the beginning, and we’re not going to stop now. That’s why Center for Food Safety has taken legal action to reverse this approval.  But the potential harm from Monsanto and Dow’s chemical cocktail doesn’t stop there: the chemicals can also end up on the food you eat every day. Exposure to 2,4-D has been linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption, and reproductive problems. It’s already the 7th largest source of dioxins in the U.S. By the EPA’s own estimation, approval of “Enlist Duo” will lead to an unprecedented 2 to 7 fold increase in its use. We’re suing EPA because the toxic treadmill must stop. EPA and USDA cannot continue to ignore the history, science, and public opinion surrounding these dangerous chemicals. Why is this case so important? EPA and USDA have bowed to the chemical industry and rubber stamped these genetically engineered crops whose sole purpose is to promote ever more herbicide use and fatten the bottom line of Dow and Monsanto. Unless stopped, these crops will lead to a massive increase in the spraying of toxic chemicals and an increasing plague of herbicide resistant weeds that will choke America’s farmlands and threaten the livelihoods of our farmers. Monsanto and Dow Chemical aren’t going to back down from this fight. After all, “Enlist Duo” is designed to protect their very own genetically engineered crops and increase their profits. Pitch in $5 right now so that we can continue to be the voice of reason and fact in court on this issue. Thanks again for everything you do to make this fight possible, George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney Center for Food Safety National Headquarters 660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #302 Washington, DC 20003 phone (202) 547-9359 | fax (202) 547-9429   Contact Us CFS welcomes your questions and comments. Please contact us at office@centerforfoodsafety.org