FDA revises new food safety rules after farmers object [Los Angeles Times]
Sweeping
new federal food safety regulations proposed this year will be revised because
of an outcry of concern by farmers, the Food and Drug Administration said
Thursday. In an agency blog post, Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods
at the FDA, said rules addressing food-borne illness in production sites and
farms included in the Food Safety Modernization Act will be revised and
reviewed by early summer. A public comment period, which had ended in November,
will be reopened….The proposed regulations have been criticized by proponents
of local, organic and sustainable farming as being too invasive and unnatural.
The rules call for stringent barriers to fence wildlife away from farms and
scrutinized natural manure, which is favored by organic growers.
Group seeks special
label for food: ‘Natural’ [New York Times]
The
trade organization representing the nation’s largest food and beverage
companies wants permission to label as “natural” products that contain genetically
engineered ingredients like corn, soy, canola and sugar, according to a letter
sent to the Food and Drug Administration. In the letter dated Dec. 5, the
Grocery Manufacturers Association said it planned to petition the agency to
issue a regulation that would allow foods containing genetically modified
ingredients to be labeled “natural.” Use of the term “natural” is now
generating battles similar to previous fights over terms like organic, amid
initiatives in several states that seek to label foods in a more transparent
way. Last summer, Connecticut passed legislation on labeling that would make it
illegal to use the word “natural” on the packaging of any food product
containing biotech ingredients, and the governor signed it on Dec. 11.
Grower breaks lease:
seawater intrusion [Salinas Californian]
Justin
Brown, a flower-bulb grower out of Moss Landing, has watched the water quality
on leased land at the Elkhorn Slough deteriorate for the past decade. The
groundwater became so bad that his company was forced to terminate a lease with
its landlord — the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Freshwater wells in
northern Monterey County, including the Salinas area, have been in a state of
overdraft for decades, allowing seawater from the nearby coast to make its
march inland. At some point the sodium and chloride levels in the water will no
longer sustain plant growth….Monterey County water officials are guardedly
optimistic that their efforts the past two years are beginning to pay dividends
in halting, or at least slowing, the advance of seawater into Salinas Valley
groundwater basins, according to data from recent testing.
Environmental groups
urge federal court to deny Drakes Bay Oyster Company's case [Santa Rosa Press
Democrat]
A
commercial oyster farm that operates motorboats six days a week has no place in
an area designated by Congress as potential wilderness, four environmental
groups said in the latest federal court brief filed in the Drakes Bay Oyster
Company case. Citing the company’s use of 95 wooden racks that cover seven
acres of Drakes Estero, motorboat use and the planting of “millions of
non-native oysters and clams,” the 22-page brief urged the 9th Circuit U.S.
Court of Appeals in San Francisco to deny a rehearing of the long-running
case.…The filing, known as a “friend of the court” brief, opposes oyster
company owner Kevin Lunny’s bid for a second appellate court hearing before 11
judges. Eight friend of the court briefs have been filed on behalf of Lunny,
whose case against the federal government has been handled for free by several
teams of lawyers.
San Joaquin Valley
salmon make small gains against tough odds [Modesto Bee]
With
a flash of silver and pink, a male salmon signaled its arrival in a stretch of
the Tuolumne River near La Grange. It sought to fertilize eggs laid in the
shallow stream bed gravel by a female that also had returned from a few years
in the Pacific Ocean. Chinook salmon spawning has been going on since September
on San Joaquin Valley rivers. It’s a stirring sight for people who love nature,
but important as well to farmers and other water users who could face cutbacks
if the fish numbers stay low. This year, at least, they are not doing too
badly. Many of the spawning fish were born on the rivers in 2010 and 2011, when
the water ran high, and they enjoyed healthy conditions at sea. They return to
streams shrunken by drought, but well-timed reservoir releases have provided
some of the flows they need….The TID and the Modesto Irrigation District keep
close watch on the salmon as the districts seek a new federal license for Don
Pedro Reservoir, a few miles upstream of the spawning grounds. They could be
required to boost the river flows beyond what they are doing to aid the
migration. They argue that higher flows make no sense if the salmon are still
going to be eaten by bass or weakened by the delta’s poor water quality.
Commentary: Ensure water supply in '14 and work toward a long-term
plan [Bakersfield Californian]
…Every
day we go without a permanent solution to the state's water system, we put
millions of Californians in peril….Congressman David Valadao, R-Hanford, and I
have led a joint effort with each of our respective lawmaking bodies to demand
urgent action from President Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown. Recently, we sent a
letter, signed by 50 Congressional and state legislative members, calling for
immediate action to ensure an adequate water supply in 2014….A long-term
solution must also include water storage. It is my hope an agreement can be
crafted this year in the state legislature to place a reasonable bond measure
before the voters in 2014 that provides us with the necessary resources to
invest in our state's water storage capacity.
Ag
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