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Agency’s control over modified crops in Ore. is limited

The Columbian
Published: July 8, 2014, 12:00am

PORTLAND — Oregon agriculture officials say the state has no authority over genetically modified crops once federal regulators deem them safe for commercial use.

In a letter to Gov. John Kitzhaber, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said state law allows it to create “control areas” for genetically engineered crops to deal with pests and disease. But it can create such areas only for GE crops that are in the trial phase.

Officials say once a GE crop is “deregulated” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is deemed not to be a carrier of pests or disease — and the state loses authority over the crop.

In October, Kitzhaber directed the state Agriculture Department to use its authority to deal with conflicts between GE and non-GE crops, including by creating a statewide mapping system for GMO field locations, establishing buffer zones and exclusion areas.

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