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Dow Jones Newswires –
Wednesday – September 3, 2008 – 14:29 EDT
(quotes R-CALF
USA CEO Bill Bullard)
U.S. Group
(R-CALF USA) Gathers New Evidence to Stop Canada Cattle Imports
By Bill
Tomson
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A U.S. rancher
group determined to block imports of Canadian cattle more prone to mad-cow
disease thinks two new developments may be keys to turn the tide in its lawsuit
against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The events raising hopes are a new U.S. government report and yet another case
of infection found in Canada, according to the group, R-CALF United Stockgrowers
of America.
"The USDA has understated the risk associated with allowing Canadian cattle into
the United States by a large margin," Bill Bullard, R-CALF chief executive, told
Dow Jones Newswires in a recent interview.
Canada keeps finding new cases of mad-cow disease, or bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, in cattle eligible to be shipped to the U.S. and the USDA has
recently been criticized for not regulating properly the animals as they cross
the border.
The latest case of BSE discovered in the Canadian province of Alberta is yet
more evidence, R-CALF said. It was the 14th case of BSE discovered in Canada in
a native-born Canadian cow. R-CALF refers to the total tally as 15 animals,
counting the Canadian-born cow that was likely infected there and then
discovered in the U.S.
Eight of those 15, including the latest, would have been eligible for export to
the U.S. under current policy that says the animals must have been born after
Mar. 1, 1999, Bullard said.
Canada confirmed its latest case of BSE on Aug. 15, in a cow that was six years
old. Before that, Canada confirmed in June finding a 5-year-old cow infected
with the disease. Canada reported finding its first case of BSE of 2008 in
February.
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, is charged with
overseeing and with documenting the importation of live animals into the U.S.
from Canada. A recent Office of Inspector General report was critical of the
agency's ability to do so.
"Our audit concluded that APHIS' controls over live animal imports need to be
strengthened to prevent, detect and address the entry of live animals that do
not meet requirements," the OIG said. "APHIS does not have effective systems or
controls for approving and ... tracking live animals into the United States. We
found animals entered the country without APHIS inspection."
Much of that failure dealt with keeping older Canadian cattle out of the U.S.
Until recently only cattle less than 30 months old were allowed to be imported
from Canada because of concern that it is the older animals that are more
susceptible to contracting the disease.
On Nov. 19, 2007, the USDA eased its restrictions on Canadian cattle imports by
allowing in cattle 30 months and older.
Bullard's R-CALF sued USDA over its first decision in 2005 to allow in young
Canadian cattle and the rancher group is now taking action against the USDA for
its 2007 decision to permit the imports of the older cattle.
Even before Canada confirmed its latest BSE case, R-CALF claimed at least a
partial victory in its lawsuit on July 3 when U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence
Piersol ordered the USDA to reconsider its rule that allows in the older cattle.
Bullard said the latest infection in an older Canadian animal that was eligible
for export to the U.S. and the report faulting USDA's oversight of the border
provide a substantial amount of new ammunition for R-CALF to take to Piersol.
The border, Bullard said, is "leaking like a sieve" and that puts a big hole in
USDA's claim that the U.S. can safely import Canadian cattle.
Piersol's July 3 ruling did not stop the U.S. importation of Canadian cattle,
but it did order the USDA to reconsider its decision to allow in the older
cattle. It also told the USDA to ask again for public feedback. The USDA is
required to provide "quarterly updates" to the court on its compliance, making
the first report due Oct. 3
-By Bill
Tomson, Dow
Jones Newswires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 03, 2008 14:29 ET (18:29 GMT)
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