Print This PageRoundup Ready® Alfalfa Comment Period
Read the Draft EIS
(.pdf 6.7M)
In 2007, a federal district court issued a ruling that stopped the sale and planting of Roundup Ready® alfalfa seeds until the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) could complete a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of deregulating the product.
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, marked the start of a 60-day open comment period during which supporters can write a positive comment and help USDA recognize the value of this technology and its impact to growers. The draft EIS recommends Roundup Ready alfalfa be deregulated again based on the agency’s analysis and conclusions that the product is unlikely to pose plant pest risks and will not significantly impact the environment.
Interested people may submit public comments about the draft until March 3, 2010. The USDA will consider all public comments received by March 3 before completing the EIS and before making any final decisions regarding the regulatory status of Roundup Ready alfalfa.
More information on how to write and submit a letter of support is available by visiting the Roundup Ready alfalfa Web site. The site includes a letter writing toolkit section with templates to help supporters gather thoughts on the benefits of Roundup Ready alfalfa and biotechnology in general.
Comments submitted in writing should be mailed by mid-February to ensure they arrive to the USDA by the March 3 deadline. Comments also can be submitted electronically directly to the USDA by visiting the USDA comment section for Roundup Ready Alfalfa.
