01.14.05

Cantwell to Bush Administration: Ensure "Integrity and Thoroughness" of Canadian Mad Cow Investigation; Don't Rush to Reopen Border to Beef Imports

state legislators and ranchers agree; full investigation needed

OLYMPIA, WA – Today U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Washington state agriculture leaders called on the Bush Administration to consider postponing new federal rules effective this March that would reopen the Canadian border to beef products until the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) completes its investigation of the most recent Canadian Mad Cow case. The investigation will assess whether Canada is in compliance with the country's 1997 ban on feeding cows ruminant by-products. Cantwell released her letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Anne Veneman today at a press conference hosted by the Washington State Farm Bureau in Olympia.

"The U.S. beef industry is depending on this Administration to do what's required to ensure the safety of our food and ultimately our consumers," Cantwell stated.

Cantwell added, "I recognize the economic hardships suffered by the Canadian beef industry, but our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of our nation's beef supply. This will only be achieved when we have proven that Canada is in full compliance with all the firewalls in place to prevent the spread of mad cow disease."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a rule on January 4, designating Canada as a "minimal-risk region" with respect to the occurrence of Mad Cow disease. The rule would reopen the border to Canadian cattle and beef imports beginning March 7, 2005. Just days after the Administration announced it would reopen the border to Canadian beef products, another case of Mad Cow was discovered in Canada. Unlike previous cases, the most recent infected cow was born after Canada 's 1997 feed ban went into effect. The latest case calls into question whether Canada is fully enforcing its existing feed ban.

The feed ban is an agreement adopted by both the United States and Canada to not allow cattle to consume feed with other cow parts in it. This was determined early on as the most effective way to prevent the spread of Mad Cow disease. While the U.S. currently won't allow live cattle over 30 months of age to cross the border, the Canadian cow could have easily been slaughtered and used in animal feed, continuing the spread of the disease. For example, the Mabton cow (the U.S.'s only case of mad cow, discovered just over one year ago) was proven to have been infected from contaminated cattle feed.

The United States is sending a technical team from the USDA'S Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to evaluate the circumstances surrounding Canada's most recent case of Mad Cow. Cantwell is urging the USDA to make clear its commitment to the integrity and thoroughness of the APHIS technical team's efforts by delaying the reopening of the border until it is proven that the Canadian beef industry is safe and that Canada is enforcing the 1997 feed ban.

In December, Senator Cantwell also called upon the USDA to close additional feed loopholes in the United States.

Cantwell was joined today by the leaders of the State Senate Agriculture Committee, State Senators Marilyn Rasmussen (D-2 nd LD) and Mark Schoesler (R-9 th LD), both ranchers by trade. The press conference was hosted by Dean Boyer of the Washington State Farm Bureau's Olympia Office. Former President of the Washington Cattleman Association Rick Nelson also expressed his support for the lawmakers' efforts.