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<font face="Arial">Fear – Fire – Foes – Awake! S 510 up for vote on
Wednesday<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.bobwaldrop.net/?p=382">http://www.bobwaldrop.net/?p=382</a><br>
<br>
According to Food Safety News
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/11/s-510-could-clear-senate-by-the-weekend/">http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/11/s-510-could-clear-senate-by-the-weekend/</a>
, the so-called Food Safety Bill, S 510, will be up for a
procedural vote on Wednesday. If it passes this hurdle, the
publication expects passage of the final bill by the weekend.<br>
<br>
I read the bill this morning, and it is very clear that this is an
FDA power grab over the production of vegetables and fruits.
Consider this passage –<br>
<br>
‘‘(B) include, with respect to growing, harvesting, sorting,
packing, and storage operations, minimum standards related to soil
amendments, hygiene, packaging, temperature controls, animal
encroachment, and water."<br>
<br>
In other words, the FDA will issue regulations governing almost
every aspect of the vegetable and fruit growing process. These
regulations will be determined by unelected government bureaucrats
who may have no experience in agriculture whatsoever! The FDA has
a long history of institutional hostility to small producers and
involving it with agricultural production is a prescription for
disaster for local food systems everywhere.<br>
<br>
But wait. . . it gets worse. What about all the foreign produce
imported into the United States? This is not a problem, because
foreign growers and importers can ask for – and receive! –
exemptions from following the government guidelines that will be
mandatory on US farmers with harsh criminal and civil penalties
for non-compliance!
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://hartkeisonline.com/food-politics/s510-may-mean-10-years-in-prison-for-farmers/">http://hartkeisonline.com/food-politics/s510-may-mean-10-years-in-prison-for-farmers/</a><br>
<br>
‘‘(B) permit States and foreign countries from which food is
imported into the United States, subject to paragraph (2), to
request from the Secretary variances from the requirements of the
regulations, where upon approval of the Secretary, the variance is
considered permissible under the requirements of the regulations
adopted under subsection (b)(2)(C) and where the State or foreign
country determines that the variance is necessary in light of
local growing onditions and that the procedures, processes, and
practices to be followed under the variance are reasonably likely
to ensure that the produce is not adulterated under section 402 to
the same extent as the requirements of the regulation adopted
under subsection (b)."<br>
<br>
Contact your US senators today – go to <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.senate.gov">www.senate.gov</a> to find
contact info – and ask them to vote NO on S 510.<br>
<br>
This will not be our last chance to defeat this bill. S 510 is
different in some aspects from the food safety bill passed by the
House, so there will have to be a reconciliation. We’ll see if the
Republicans keep their campaign promises to reduce federal
regulation and protect small business when it comes time for those
negotiations – IF we are unable to prevent passage of the bill in
the Senate.<br>
<br>
Don’t wait – act today – and contact your friends and family and
ask them to contact their US senators too! It is especially
important for farmers and other food producers t contact their
senators and also any farm organizations they belong to. Remember,
all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do
nothing. S 510 may have pernicious impacts on the local food
systems that are just getting going throughout the country. It
indeed is a prescription for "future famine".<br>
<br>
<br>
Bob Waldrop<br>
<br>
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