01/14/05 R-CALF CEO on new lawsuit

01/14/05 R-CALF CEO on new lawsuit

Washington Ag January 14, 2005 In the wake of the recent cases of BSE in Canada, organizations like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the American Farm Bureau may be re-considering their support for reopening the U.S. border to Canadian cattle, but R-CALF USA is sticking to the position it's always had, outright opposition to USDA's rule to resume trade. Speaking in Spokane this week, Bill Bullard, R-CALF CEO, talked about the groups new lawsuit filed this week, which claims the USDA is violating a duty not to relax current health and safety standards regarding BSE. Bullard: "Our position is that the science indicates that the disease is far more widespread in Canada than the USDA assumes, and that the mitigation measures that the USDA is requiring are not sufficient to adequately protect our industry or our consumers." Bullard say Canada's announcement this week of another case of BSE clearly establishes that R-CALF's position is correct. The Ephrata area has a new Department of Ecology water master. Lynn Maser will work with people on water-use and water-supply issues in the central Columbia basin, which includes portions of Grant, Adams, Lincoln and Franklin counties. The office of the water master is in the Bureau of Reclamation building across from the Grant County Courthouse. I'm Bob Hoff.
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