Oregon Public Broadcasting

A federal judge in California has ruled the U.S. Department of Agriculture violated the law when it issued permits to plant genetically modified sugar beets.

The USDA issued the permits just weeks after the same judge barred any new planting of the crop pending an environmental review.

Back in August, District Judge Jeffery White ruled the USDA had illegally deregulated a sugar beet designed to be resistant to Monsanto’s herbicide, Round-up.

Farmers in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere worried that the plant might pollinate non-modified varieties.

The judge barred any future planting of modified beets pending an Environmental Impact Statement.

But just weeks later, the USDA allowed the plant to go in the ground as long as it wasn’t allowed to flower. 

The Center for Food Safety and other groups filed suit charging the USDA was attempting an end-run around the law.

Paul Atchitoff is the lead attorney for the plaintiffs.

Paul Atchitoff: “I was quite surprised the government felt it could get away with this.”

Atchitoff says his clients are asking the judge to order the destruction of the genetically modified sugar beets that were planted. 

The judge could decide that next month.