Campus buzz
Saturday
Adam Kehl, percussion (senior recital),
1 p.m., Beall Hall, free.
Rachel Seay, horn (senior recital), 4 p.m.,
Beall Hall, free.
Dan Flanagan, violin (master's recital),
6 p.m., Beall Hall, free.
On the Rocks, with Divisi (a cappella
concert), 8:30 p.m., Beall Hall, $8 general
public, $5 students and senior citizens,
346-5678.
Sunday
Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms"
(University Ensemble Concert, featuring
the University Singers), 3 p.m., Beall Hall,
$5 general public, $3 students and senior
citizens, 346-5678.
Christine Keene, soprano (junior recital),
4:30 p.m., Newman Center, free.
Rika Uchida, piano (doctoral recital), 8
p.m., Beall Hall, free.
Monday
Chi Alpha (meeting), 6:30-9 p.m., EMU
Metolius Room.
Government may keep
food labeling optional
If the bill goes to the senate
and passes, state and local
governments won't be able
to enforce food labeling
Aimee Rudin
City/State Politics Reporter
Most grocery stores are filled with
produce and edible products from
around the nation and around the
world. Foods, especially fruits and veg
etables, often carry a label describing
the conditions under which they were
grown. Stickers reading USDA certi
fied organic, or hot-house grown, are a
common sight. But one label some
consumers would like to see on their
food is noticeably absent.
Genetically modified organisms —
food that has had its genetic material al
tered through controlled breeding —
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Many organic food growers label their food, such as peppers from Sundance
Natural Food, even though labeling is optional.
are not required to carry a label declar
ing their origins. Some Oregon produc
ers do label their products as genetically
engineered, although it is a voluntary
action not required by federal law.
A few Oregpn lawmakers are looking
to keep labeling optional. The Oregon
House of Representatives recently
passed legislation ensuring that individ
ual communities do not require more
stringent labeling regulations on GMOs
than those required by the federal gov
ernment. However, the federal govern
ment currendy does not require any la
beling of genetically modified food.
House Bill 2957 was passed in April
and is now in front of the Senate Agri
culture and Natural Resources Com
mittee, headed by Sen. Frank Shields,
D-Portland. According to a spokesman
in Shield’s office, the committee is cur
rendy closed, and a senate vote has not
yet been scheduled. If the bill gpes to the
senate and passes, neither the state gov
ernment nor local governments will be
allowed to enforce any form of labeling
regulation on GMOs.
Many of the bill’s opponents are
calling it unnecessary and a knee
jerk response to Measure 27 — a bill
proposed in 2002 that would have re
quired the labeling of all genetically
modified organisms.
Currently there is no record of any
local government taking an individual
stance on food labeling requirements.
Before the passage of the bill in the
House, opponents of the bill, including
Rep. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said
the bill was unnecessary.
“We’re fixing something that isn’t a
problem,” Prozanski said. “I don’t be
lieve we should be limiting the ability
of the state to supply Oregon resi
dents with information about the
foods they are eating.”
As of now, USDA regulations control
the labeling of organic foods, but not
GMOs. According to Joe Gabriel, Eu
gene office manager for GF Fresh, fed
eral regulations for organic foods
stemmed from the individual state re
quirements set by Oregon and Califor
nia more than 10 years ago.
“Last year organic certification
was moved under the federal USDA
umbrella,” Gabriel said. “Now every
one in the country uses the same
standards, and individual states can
not enforce tougher standards than
the federal guidelines. It has left
many people feeling like the regula
tions were compromised.”
Sen. Shields can be contacted at
(503) 986-1724. Three other state
senators represent the University
and surrounding area: Sen. Tony
Corcoran, D-Cottage Grove, can be
contacted at (503) 986-1704, Sen.
Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, can be
contacted at (503) 986-1706 and
Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Cottage Grove,
can be contacted at (503) 986-1707.
Contact the senior reporter
at aimeerudin@dailyemerald.com.
Railroad
continued from page 1
coordinator for the Northwest Coali
tion for Alternatives to Pesticides,
said NCAP’s biggest concern was
Union Pacific’s lack of notification to
people living along the tracks.
“We have concerns about the tox
icity effects, as well as health and
environmental effects,” Kemple
said. Union Pacific “is not posting
notices near the tracks and not noti
fying the neighbors ... we think
there should be postings.”
Glyphosate, the active chemical
used to kill the weeds, is rated by the
Environmental Protection Agency as
having a toxicity level of three, with
level one being the most toxic and
level four being the least. However, in
dependent studies have shown con
flicting results about what harm
glyphosate may cause humans.
A fact sheet issued by the U.S. For
est Service, the Bureau of Land Man
agement and the Bonneville Power
Administration states, “Based on the
results of animal studies, glyphosate
does not cause genetic damage or
birth defects, and has little or no ef
fect on fertility, reproduction or de
velopment of offspring.” The report
also said that not enough information
existed to determine whether or not
glyphosate was a cause of cancer, and
that there have been no reported cas
es of long term health effects in hu
mans due to glyphosate exposure.
However, according to the Jour
nal of Pesticide Reform, products
that contain glyphosate can cause
everything from eye irritation and
nausea to breathing difficulties and
heart palpitations. The Journal,
published by NGAP, also makes
mention of a recent Swedish study
of hairy cell leukemia — a form of
the cancer — which found that peo
ple who were occupationally ex
posed to glyphosate herbicides had
a higher risk of contracting the can
cer. Another study conducted in
1997 by Princeton found that
Roundup caused death to half of the
animals in an experiment.
John Bromley, the director of
public affairs for Union Pacific, said
the railroad company has no prob
lem with using glyphosate because
it feels there is no real danger in us
ing the chemical.
“We don’t think it causes any risk
at all to the public,” he said, adding
he was aware of the public concerns
about glyphosate but didn’t feel
there was a reason for the concern.
Bromley also said there shouldn’t be
any concern about winds blowing the
chemical outside of the spray radius.
“The spray area is so small that I
don’t think (glyphosate) is going to go
beyond the area it’s intended to,” he
said. The spray area will be along all
of the railroad tracks in Eugene and is
expected to take one day to apply.
But Majeska Seese-Green, presi
dent of the Whiteaker Community
Council and a member of the Rail
road Pollution Coalition, said she
disagrees with Bromley.
“Apparently, (Bromley) doesn’t
read the fine print,” she said in re
sponse to his views on glyphosate,
adding that people are concerned
with the way the city of Eugene in
forms residents of the spraying.
“The fact is, neither Union Pacific
or the city takes responsibility to
make sure there are signs posted,”
she said.
Ward 3 City Counselor David Kelly
said the reason the city doesn’t post
signs is because it takes money, and
the city can’t afford it right now. How
ever, Kelly added there is currently a
bill going through the Oregon Senate
that would allow local jurisdictions to
adopt local laws about requiring noti
fication of pesticide use.
David Monk, executive director of
the Oregon Toxics Alliance, said
people should steer clear of areas
being sprayed. He said if people do
walk over the railroad tracks, they
should leave their shoes outside
when they return home.
Glyphosate will “affect anybody
who happens to be around,” he said,
“especially young children. If you
see (Union Pacific) spraying, I
would vacate the area.”
Contact the reporter
atalishaughnessy@dailyemerald.com.
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Ruhl Lecture
Sponsored by the University of Oregon
School of Journalism and Communication
“Snob Journalism: Elitism versus
Ethics for a Profession in Crisis”
Tom Rosenstiel
vice Chairman of the Committee
of Concerned Journalists
Thursday, May 22
Gerlinger Alumni Room
4:00 P.M.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
Reception to follow in Allen hall atrium at 5:i5 p.m.
This lecture is made possible by The Robert and Mabel Ruhl Endowment
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (541) 346-3819 AT THE SCHOOL
OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION. ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED IF
REQUESTED IN ADVANCE.