ATTENTION Peace Activists, Sustainable Ag. Advocates, Environmentalists,
and people who care about Iowa:
Trans Ova, an agribusiness corporation with a risky plan to clone cows
for vaccines for biodefense, has written a bill to give itself $33
million which could be also utilized by other biotech companies, and is
pressuring Iowa to give them the money they want or else they will head
to South Dakota. We need action through contacting media and
legislators.
House Study Bill 180 is an act relating to animal biotechnology
by creating an animal biotechnology commercialization fund, extending
the time period during which a life science enterprise may purchase
agricultural land, making appropriations, and providing an effective
date. The bill will soon have a house file number.
Trans Ova is the leading company for this legislation. They want
funding from the state to expand their biotechnology center and create
new facilities. They will clone cows capable of producing antibodies in
milk and blood to vaccinate for infectious diseases such as smallpox
which is feared to be a biological threat that could be against the
United States. The antibodies would be extracted from the blood or milk
to create vaccines for humans.
Here are some talking points for legislators, letters to the editor,
op-eds, etc.:
* There is no definite plan on how Trans Ova and other biotech companies
who may use facilities would dispose of their waste. When questioned at
a House Economic Growth Committee meeting Monday regarding disposal of
milk once the antibodies were extracted, the Trans Ova lobbyist
mentioned that they were checking into possibilities. One possibility he
mentioned was to create compost of the waste or have incinerators. He
didn't address the waste disposal of the dead cows, except "they will
not enter the food supply." How can that be guaranteed? Without a waste
disposal plan, this waste could end up polluting our water, furthering
our water pollution problems in the state.
* The funding that is being requested would come from the tobacco
settlement trust fund, money that could be spent in many other better
ways. (Include your suggestions. I recommend that it go to helping small
farmers.)
* Trans Ova is wanting to create allies at Iowa colleges, especially
Iowa State and the University of Iowa where research has begun.
* The business plan relies on the nation being at war and under the
constant threat of terrorism. Does war mean profit for this company?
Homeland Security for economic development?
* Consumers have declining faith in biotechnology, and this bill is
based on the assumption that consumers will leap at the opportunity to
get vaccines produced from cloned cow concentrates. Combine the
criticism of biotechnology and the criticism for war and that is a lot
of people that will be skeptical to take these vaccines.
*Biotechnology stocks have been dropping, and why should the state
provide money for an industry that is already having such troubles in
the stock market?
* This bill is giving state money for economic development, the purpose
of the Iowa Values Fund. The legislature should wait to see if the Iowa
Values Fund is passed before appropriating any funds for Trans Ova.
* Viruses could be transmittable from cloned cows to humans through
these pharmaceuticals. With the rush of companies to profit from fear of
bioterrorism, we cannot assume that there would be adequate research to
protect consumers.
The following are questions that need to be asked about this, especially
be legislators and media:
1.) What is it about the cows that make them unsafe for human
consumption?
2.) How many cows would produce how many vaccinations for people?
3.) How does Trans Ova plan on getting the vaccinations to consumers
and convincing consumers that they need it? How much would the
vaccinations cost and would they be sold on a state level, national
level, or international level? Shouldn't we know what the specific
marketing plan of Trans Ova is before we give them money?
4.) Trans Ova supposedly will give a lot of jobs to college
graduates at salaries around $45,000/year. What other jobs will be
created with state money and what will those salaries be?
5.) Trans Ova said they are creating allies at ISU and the
University of Iowa for research. What is their plan for how this
research will help their business? What research is aleady going on and
how is it being funded?
6.) What kind of facilities will the cows be kept at? How many cows
at each facility that they build?
7.) What is their current environmental record? How can Trans Ova
assure Iowans that their waste will be dealt with in a responsible way
considering the cows are not approved for human consumption? How much
waste will be created?
8.) If we take from the tobacco fund, and the Iowa Values Fund does
not get implemented, what will we not fund because of our commitment to
Trans Ova?
ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Legislators are really lining up behind this so although it is difficult
to stop, we must demand answers and accountability. Trans Ova is heading
to Washington, D.C. next week to supplement some funding needs with
federal dollars so they want to show that Iowa is behind them.
Contact your representatives, and also contact representatives on the
Appropriations Committee, which is where this bill will head next. On
the Appropriations Committee, I especially encourage sending questions
that should be asked to Rep. Willard Jenkins from Waterloo who is the
Vice Chair of Approp's that questioned the bill more than other
legislators in the House Econ. Growth Committee. You can find out this
info by going to http://www2.legis.state.ia.us. You can thank Rep.
Fallon and Rep. Lensing for voting no on it as well.
Contact me for more info.
Stephanie Weisenbach
Iowa Campaign Associate
Humane Society of the United States
515-283-0777
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