Simplot

<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-potato-simplot-health-fears-2618087647.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-potato-simplot-health-fears-2618087647.html</a>GMO Potato Creator Now Fears Its Impact on Human Health<div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url css-listicle-body-2618087647" data-elid="2618087647" data-authors="Ken Roseboro" data-headline="GMO Potato Creator Now Fears Its Impact on Human Health" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description">Of all the genetic engineers who have renounced the technology—Arpad Pusztai, Belinda Martineau, Thierry Vrain and John Fagan, among others—because of its shortsighted approach and ability to produce unintended and potentially toxic consequences, Caius Rommens' story may be the most compelling.Rommens was director of research at Simplot Plant Sciences from 2000 to 2013 where he led development of the company's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-genetically-modified-organism/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">genetically engineered</a> Innate potato. But over time, Rommens started to have serious doubts about his work and worried about potential health risks from eating the GMO potatoes, which are now sold in 4,000 supermarkets in the U.S.Rommens' concerns about the GMO potato led him to write a book, Pandora's Potatoes, which was recently published. The book is a case study on how a scientist's initial enthusiasm about genetic engineering turns to doubt and fear as he realizes the hazards the technology can create.I recently interviewed Caius Rommens about his work developing the GMO potato and the misgivings he now has about it.Please describe your work developing GMO potatoes and your position at Simplot.Caius Rommens: I left my position as team leader at <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Monsanto</a> to start an independent biotech effort at Simplot. During the 12 years I worked there, I designed a genetically modified potato that I believed was resistant to bruise and late blight, and that could be used to produce French fries that were less colored and less carcinogenic than normal fries.The main genetic engineering of the Simplot GMO potatoes as described in your book was silencing genes called RNAi. What are some of the possible negative consequences of silencing genes?CR: Silencing is not gene-specific. Any gene with a similar structure to the silencing construct may be silenced as well. It is even possible that the silencing that takes place inside the GM potatoes affects the genes of animals eating these GM potatoes. I am most concerned about bees that don't eat GM potatoes but may use GM potato pollen to feed their larvae. Based on my assessment of the literature, it appears that the silencing constructs are active in pollen.You say that silencing the PPO (polyphenol oxidase, a gene responsible for browning in potatoes) gene increases toxins that accumulate in the GMO potatoes. Why are these toxins produced and what effects could these toxins produce on human health?CR: Ex-colleagues of mine had shown that PPO-silencing increases the levels of alpha-aminoadipate by about six-fold. Alpha-aminoadipate is a neurotoxin, and it can also react with sugars to produce advanced glycoxidation products implicated in a variety of diseases.(A Monsanto GM corn variety, LY038, was found to have high concentrations of alpha-aminoadipate, and an application for its approval in Europe in 2009 was withdrawn after regulators raised safety questions.)There is no data on the actual levels of alpha-aminoadipate in GM potatoes, but I believe that Simplot should carefully determine these levels.Similarly, ex-colleagues had shown that the damaged and bruised tissues of potatoes may accumulate high levels of tyramine, another toxin. Such damaged tissues are normally identified and trimmed, but they are concealed, or partially concealed, and much of it is not trimmed in GM potatoes. Therefore, it seems important that Simplot should determine the full spectrum of possible tyramine levels in their GM potatoes.Another potential toxin is chaconine-malonyl. There is little known about this compound, but ex-colleagues had shown that it is increased by almost 200 percent upon PPO-silencing. This should probably be investigated.In your book you write that the GMO potatoes don't eliminate bruising but just conceal it. Please explain.CR: PPO-silencing prevents the darkening of bruises. The suppression of symptoms is so effective that we believed we had overcome the bruise issue. It took me a lot of time to understand that GM potatoes still have bruises—invisible bruises—that are just as damaged as the darkening bruises of normal potatoes. In other words, the invisible bruises still are entry points for pathogens and exit points for water, which are two important issues during storage.In addition to the claim of eliminating bruises, Simplot says the Innate potato provides "protection against late blight pathogen," and "reduced asparagine, which contributes to reduced acrylamide in cooked potatoes." What are your reactions to these claims?CR: The GM potato does contain a resistance gene that provides protection against late blight. The problem is that nobody knows how long the protection will last. Plant breeders have tested many different resistance genes in the past, and these genes are almost always overcome by quickly evolving pathogens.Another issue is that late blight is usually accompanied by other pathogens. In humid regions of the world where late blight is most active, there are dozens of other pathogens. So, growing GM potatoes with a single resistance gene in, for example, Bangladesh is like getting vaccinated for one tropical disease and then moving to the tropics where there are many other diseases.Next, the reduced asparagine levels do lower the amount of acrylamide in French fries, but these levels are already very low in normal fries. Simplot argues that the reduced acrylamide levels reduce carcinogenicity, but I could not find any reliable studies demonstrating that normal fries are carcinogenic.The title of your book is Pandora's Potatoes. What led you to choose this title?CR: During the five years after my departure from Simplot, I realized that I had not been rigorous enough in considering the possibility that my modifications might have caused unintended effects. I then studied the publicly available literature that was relevant to my past work, and identified a number of issues that had been hidden from my view. My GM potatoes had "hidden" issues—like Pandora's Box.What do you think should be done with these GMO potatoes?CR: I believe that, for the short term, GM potatoes entering the consumer market should be evaluated for the incidence of hidden bruise and infections and the range in levels of toxins such as alpha-aminoadipate and tyramine.Do you think the problems you experienced in GMO potatoes will be similar in other GMO plants?CR: It is my experience that genetic engineers are biased and narrow-minded. They may not be able to critically assess their own creations.What is your perspective on genetic engineering now after your work with the GMO potato and misgivings about it?CR: My concern about genetic engineering is that the absence of unintentional effects can never be guaranteed. It may take dozens of years before these effects reveal themselves, and we should be extremely cautious applying the technology.
What is your perspective on CRISPR/gene editing?CR: The problem with CRISPR is that it changes the function of a gene in all tissues of an organism. This is a very important limitation, because gene changes are mostly "useful" only if implemented in a single tissue.CRISPR has the same problems as genetic engineering. In my book, I explain that it requires manipulations in tissue culture that cause mutations. These mutations have a negative effect on crop performance and cannot be removed from certain crops including apple and potato.What do you see as the best alternatives to GMO or conventional mono-cropped potatoes?CR: Genetic engineering is meant to increase crop uniformity. I believe the opposite approach—to increase crop diversity—will be more effective in increasing the sustainability of farming.I am most hopeful in the efforts of small companies such as Solynta (A Dutch company that has developed an innovative non-GMO technology for targeted breeding of potatoes). The main benefit of Soylnta's approach is that it breeds potatoes that have a simpler genetic structure than cultivated potatoes—more like that of wild potatoes—so that genetic traits can be combined much more effectively.<div class="around-the-web"><div class="around-the-webheadline" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eversweet-non-gmo-certification-2603754941.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Experts: Non-GMO Certification of GMO-Derived Sweetener Sets a ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/hemp-billion-dollar-industry-2609801535.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Can Hemp Become a 60 Million Acre Crop and Billion Dollar Industry? ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="http://non-gmoreport.com/company-implicated-in-organic-fraud-connected-to-similar-incident-in-2007/" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Company implicated in organic grain fraud connected to similar ... ›</a></li></ul></div></div></div>otter staff blm:
<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px;"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/simplot-licenses-dowduponts-gene-editing-tech-2593940275.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;">Potato Company Simplot Licenses DowDuPont’s Gene Editing Tech</a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2593940275" data-authors="Modern Farmer" data-headline="Potato Company Simplot Licenses DowDuPont’s Gene Editing Tech" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief">By Dan NosowitzThe agricultural company J.R. Simplot Company, one of the largest potato producers in the world, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jr-simplot-company-secures-agricultural-research-and-commercial-license-from-corteva-agriscience-and-broad-institute-of-mit-and-harvard-300691960.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">struck a deal</a> with the developers of a specific gene editing technology. That tech will allow Simplot to precisely edit the genomes of crops for various reasons: longer shelf life, drought resistance, aesthetic changes like a potato that doesn't brown when it's cut and exposed to oxygen.</div><div class="js-appear-on-expand" style="transition: all 350ms ease 0s; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; opacity: 0;"><div class="widgetshow-more with-primary-color js-keep-reading js-page-view-and-reload-embeds" style="cursor: pointer; border-radius: 15px; float: left; padding: 7px; font-weight: 600; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">Keep reading...</div><div class="widget__show-more with-primary-color js-keep-reading js-page-view-and-reload-embeds" style="cursor: pointer; border-radius: 15px; float: left; padding: 7px; font-weight: 600; background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">
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</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/these-are-trump-staffers-who-left-their-financial-disclosure-forms-blank-and-one</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">...fore accepting a position at the U.S. Department of the Interior last October, Benjamin Cassidy championed gun rights for nearly seven years as a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, collecting a peak annual salary of $288,333 for his work on Capitol Hill.</div>The public wouldn’t know that by looking at Cassidy’s government <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550757-Cassidy-OGE-278-Old.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">financial disclosure report</a>. The form, which he filed soon after taking a job as senior deputy director of the office of intergovernmental and external affairs, doesn’t list his old job at the NRA — or any past job, for that matter. Cassidy’s form was nearly blank, save for his name, title and some bank holdings and investments. In the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550757-Cassidy-OGE-278-Old.html#document/p2/a431969" style="text-decoration-line: none;">space allotted</a> to show his income, it incorrectly stated “None.”Benjamin Cassidy’s Financial Disclosure ReportFederal law requires nearly all executive branch employees to submit reports intended to reveal and resolve conflicts of interest that might arise from their personal finances. The reports are supposed to be carefully reviewed, preferably by agency ethics attorneys, before being made public.After we asked the Interior Department about the failure of Cassidy and at least three other staffers to disclose their work histories and finances, the agency responded with a bullet-pointed <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4560254-Statement-From-the-Interior-Department.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">assessment</a> that acknowledged ongoing problems while also noting that they “predated the current administration.”Among the department’s findings:<ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li>The Interior Department’s ethics office did not “have adequate resources to accomplish its legally required compliance functions, including its responsibilities relating to the financial disclosure report program.” Just one ethics specialist, who is not an attorney, is responsible for reviewing hundreds of reports and advising thousands of employees on issues relating to those reports. This contributed to the certification and release of inaccurate reports.</li><li>Government employees are responsible for the accuracy of their forms. But Interior’s ethics office “is culpable in certifying forms that appeared ‘blank’ without conducting a certain level of due diligence to ensure that the filers submitted correct forms.”</li><li>Four Interior staffers ultimately had to re-submit their disclosure reports following ProPublica’s inquiry. As part of that process, they were interviewed by a senior career ethics attorney who went over their reports with them. The interviews revealed some staffers “were confused about what information was supposed to be reported,” according to the agency’s statement.</li><li>Other employees “thought they had filled out the form correctly when, in fact, they had not.” None of them appeared to intentionally hide information they were required to disclose, the department said.</li></ul>Many of the problems and omissions were easy to spot. For example, an attorney for the DOI’s Bureau of Land Management, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/cally-ann-younger" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Cally Younger</a>, submitted her financial disclosure <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550759-Younger-OGE-278-Old.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">form</a> in September, days after joining the agency. An ethics official, Tia Barner, reviewed and <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550759-Younger-OGE-278-Old.html#document/p1/a431972" style="text-decoration-line: none;">approved the form</a>, concluding that it complied with federal law.But Younger’s form was blank, apart from her electronic signature and some perfunctory investment details. It completely neglected basic employment information, such as her old job as an attorney in Idaho Gov. Butch Otter’s office. Ironically, it also left out Younger’s past role as a “public records ombudsman” in Idaho, whose mission included examining how the state’s public record laws could be improved.
Younger should have been questioned by ethics officials when she filed her original form, said Don Fox, who served as acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics during the Obama administration. “It may be, honestly, she just didn’t read the instructions and she just started filling out paperwork,” Fox said, “because if you’d even done a cursory review of the instructions, she should have known that she should have listed her position with the state of Idaho.”After we asked about the batch of blank forms, a senior ethics official, Kim Hintz, determined that Younger “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550758-Younger-OGE-278-New.html#document/p6/a431975" style="text-decoration-line: none;">inadvertently omitted certain information</a>.” A revised version of her form now includes more employment and financial information.Younger’s original form was a veritable font of information compared to one filed in the name of <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/thomas-p-baptiste" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Thomas Baptiste</a>, who is now an advisor to the Bureau of Land Management. Baptiste’s form was <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4550755-Baptiste-OGE-278-Old.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">completely blank</a>, with no information beyond his name, and no signature or indication that it was reviewed or approved. Baptiste previously worked as a records manager for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, as a project director at a consulting firm that works for conservative political clients, and before that at Tepeyac OB/GYN, which calls itself a “pro-life obstetrics and gynecology medical practice....<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">==</div>J.R. Simplot is a 501(c)(3) biotechnology company describing itself as, "one of the largest privately held food and agribusiness companies in the nation." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-990_form_2012-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a> The J.R. Simplot Company was founded in 1929 in Nevada and is now headquartered in Boise, Idaho. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Contact-3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a> J.R. Simplot is an international company involved in agriculture, fertilizer manufacturing, and food processing in the U.S., China, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. As the largest processor of frozen potatoes, the company began supplying potatoes for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/McDonalds" title="McDonalds" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">McDonalds</a> french fries in the 60's and is now the major supplier for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Burger_King" title="Burger King" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Burger King</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wendy%27s" title="Wendy's" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Wendy's</a> as well.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Hoovers-4" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a> J.R. Simplot currently has their genetically engineered potatoes waiting for regulatory approval before they can reach the market likely unlabeled and with unknown long-term affects.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a> J.R. Simplot also produces fruits and vegetables through labels RoastWorks and Simplot Classic.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Hoovers-4" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a> In 2012, J.R. Simplot absorbed Migl Feed and Grain Co., Crop Service Center, Inc, and Dorman Brothers LLC.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Businessweek-6" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a> The J.R. Simplot Company runs two 501(c)(3) organizations also under the J.R. Simplot name, J.R. Simplot Company Foundation, Inc and J.R. Simplot Foundation, Inc.

As of July 2013, J.R. Simplot's annual sales were at about $4.5 billion. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-LinkedIn-7" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[8]</a>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Genetically_Modified_InnateTM_Potatoes" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">1 Genetically Modified InnateTM Potatoes</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Personnel" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2 Personnel</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Board_of_Directors" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2.1 Board of Directors</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Executive_Management" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2.2 Executive Management</a></li>

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</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Contact_Details" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">3 Contact Details</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#J.R.Simplot_Company_Foundation.2C_Inc" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4 J.R. Simplot Company Foundation, Inc</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Personnel_2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4.1 Personnel</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Board_of_Directors_2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4.1.1 Board of Directors</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Contact_Details_2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4.2 Contact Details</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#J.R.Simplot_Foundation.2C_Inc" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5 J.R. Simplot Foundation, Inc</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Personnel_3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5.1 Personnel</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Board_of_Directors_3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5.1.1 Board of Directors</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Contact_Details_3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5.2 Contact Details</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#Resources_and_Articles" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">6 Resources and Articles</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#References" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">6.1 References</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

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</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">Genetically Modified InnateTM Potatoes</h2>

On similar browning resistant genetic modifications, the apple industry has become concerned that genetically engineered apples will put unmodified apple growers at a competitive disadvantage. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a> Bill Freese, a science policy analyst with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_for_Food_Safety" title="Center for Food Safety" style="line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Center for Food Safety</a>, predicts that the Innate potatoes will fail, saying:In May 2013, J.R. Simplot submitted a petition to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requesting a non-regulated status on its InnateTMpotatoes "which have been genetically engineered for low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruise."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Federal_Register-9" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[10]</a> Acrylamide is a "natural but potentially cancer-causing neurotoxin, released by potatoes when fried. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a> Such low acrylamid levels would remove potato products from voter mandated cancer labels in California.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a> Unlike Monsanto's widely protested genetically engineered New Leaf potato of the 90's which used synthetic bacteria genes and lasted only six years in the fields, Simplot's potatoe only uses the potato genome, hence the name InnateTMpotato.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a> Vice President of Simplot's Plant Sciences, Haven Baker, describes the InnateTMpotato technologies: "The inserted genes come from cultivated potatoes or wild potatoes (a group of related plant species that are sexually-compatible with potatoes). We incorporate no foreign genes, no antibiotic resistance markers, and no vector backbone sequences, into the plant genome."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-GLP-10" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a> J.R. Simplot initiated USDA regulatory approval in January 2013 for which public comment ended on July 2nd, 2013 and a resolution is anticipated to come within the year. An additional FDA safety review was underway as of May 2013 and could be approved by the end of the year.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-GLP-10" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a> Once approved, J.R. Simplot will sell its genetically engineered potatoes to commercial growers. The potato products will likely reach consumers between 2015 and 2016, unlabeled, and with unknown long-term affects.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[12]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-GLP-10" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a>

<dd style=" line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Simplot's potatoes join a litany of other genetically engineered crops that don't face rigorous-enough USDA or FDA testing...Genetic engineering is a noisy, unpredictable process, where the best-intentioned genome tinkering could be accompanied by unforeseen effects on human health and the environment."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></dd>

</dl>

Freese further warns that because potatoes are consumed directly by humans, there have not been long-term animal feeding trials and criticizes Simplot for presenting a "miscalculate[d]" public attitude towards GMO's.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a> It is also likely that Innate potatoes, as with most GMO's, will "require excessive use of toxic pesticides, which do pose environmental risks, create harm to other species and inevitably lead to pesticide resistant insects and plants."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[13]</a> CEO of the National Potato Commission, John Keeling, cautions J.R. Simplot to keep their potatoes from reaching foreign markets before being approved. J.R. Simplot began seeking approval in the spring of 2013 for Innate potatoes in Japan, Mexico, Canada, and South Korea.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-yahoo-8" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a>

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">Personnel</h2>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Board of Directors</h3>

As of July 2013:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[14]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Businessweek-6" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[15]</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Scott R. Simplot - Chairman and Executive Committee member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">William J. Whitacre - Cheif Executive Officer and Executive Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Gay Simplot - Director and Executive Committee member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ted Simplot - Director and Executive Committee member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">J. E. Simplot - Director and Executive Committee member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Debbie McDonald - Director and Executive Committee member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Dale Dunn - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Steven Beebe - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Joe Marshall - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Terry Uhling - Secretary</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Richard Hormaechea - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Robert Lane - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Amber Post - Vice President and Treasurer</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Lawrence Hlobik - Former Director and Member of Executive Committee</li>

</ul>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Executive Management</h3>

As of July 2013:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Businessweek-6" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-GLP-10" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[16]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[17]</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">William J. Whitacre - Cheif Executive Officer and Executive Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Becky Randall - Chief Operating Officer</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Scott McNeley - Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Garrett Lofto - President of Agribusiness Group</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Haven Baker - Vice President of Plant Sciences</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Mark McKellar - President of Simplot Food Group</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Joel Barker - Vice President and Controller of Agra Business</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Steve Patterson - Vice President of Sales, Food Group</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Erin Nuxoll - Vice President of Human Resources</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Shane Robinson - Information Technology Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Kim Westover - Senior Director of Innovation</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Susan Collinge - Director of Research and Development</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Bill Whitacre - Director and Executive Committee Member</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Connie Demond - Director-Human Resources</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Kathy Swords - Director of Biotecnology</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Jim Englar - Plant Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Alan Christie - Director Engineering</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Derek Shaw - Director IT</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ryan Martin - Information Technology Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ed Cranson - Director / Manager / Department Head / Chief-Safety</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Val Nielsen - Senior Director Corporate Tax</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Duane Evans - Senior Director, Quality And Technical Services</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Dan Johnson - Director Information Technology</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Janice Dilworth - Vice President, Manager, Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Tom Basabe - Assistant Vice President and Regional District Manager - Central</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Connie Moser - Administrative Administrator</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ken Pyles - Information Systems Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Brad Baltzer - Marketing Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Greg Dismuke - Manager, IT Business Integration and IT Project Change</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Dave Dufault - Business Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Heidi Butler - HR Services Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Barbara Weber - Marketing Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Lori Bishop - Customer Service Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Bryan Howerton - Database Administrator</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Traci O'Donnell - Manager of Customer Focus Marketing-Food Products</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Michael Kissel - Manager of Software Development</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Barbara Minor - Administrator</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Kevin Browning - Food Safety Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Edie Campbell - Information Technology Project Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Craig Corsentino - Applications Manager</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Steve Vernon - Food Research and Development Manager</li>

</ul>

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">Contact Details</h2>

Postal Address:

J.R. Simplot Company

P.O. Box 27

Boise, Idaho 83707

Physical Address:

J.R. Simplot Company

999 Maine St., Suite 1300

Boise, Idaho 83702

As of June 2013, the company's registered agent is David E. Spurling and can be reached at:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[18]</a>

David E. Spurling

999 Maine St., Suite 1300

Boise, Idaho 83702

Phone: (208) 336-2110

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Contact-3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a> Website: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.simplot.com/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">http://www.simplot.com</a>

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">J.R. Simplot Company Foundation, Inc</h2>

J.R. Simplot Company Foundation is a 501(c)(3) run by the J.R. Simplot Company. In 2012, J.R. Simplot Company reported a total annual revenue of $931,389 and gave a total of $875,524 in contributions. Recipients of some of hte largest donations include:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-990_form_2012-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nutrients_for_Life_Foundation" title="Nutrients for Life Foundation" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Nutrients for Life Foundation</a> - $220,000</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ronald_McDonald_House_Charities" title="Ronald McDonald House Charities" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Ronald McDonald House Charities</a> - $107,150</li>

</ul>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Personnel</h3>

<h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Board of Directors</h4>

As of February 2013:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-990_form_2012-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Gay C. Simplot - President, Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">John Edward Simplot - Vice President, Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Annette Elg - Treasurer</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Amber H. Post - Assistant Treasurer</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Laura M. Peterson - Assistant Treasurer</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Terry T. Uhling - Secretary</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Scott R. Simplot - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Debbie S. McDonald - Director</li>

</ul>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Contact Details</h3>

Postal Address:

J.R. Simplot Company

P.O. Box 27

Boise, Idaho 83707

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">J.R. Simplot Foundation, Inc</h2>

J.R. Simplot Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization run by the J.R. Simplot Company. In 2011, J.R. Simplot Foundation reported a total annual revenue of $5,036,711 and gave a total of $7,236,531 in contributions of which $6,800,000 went to the Idaho Community Foundation. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Foundation_990_form_2011-18" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[19]</a>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Personnel</h3>

<h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Board of Directors</h4>

As of August 2012:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Foundation_990_form_2011-18" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[19]</a>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Debbie McDonald - President, Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Scott Simplot - Vice President, Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Gay Simplot - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Don Simplot - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ted Simplot - Director</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ron Graves - Secretary</li>

<li style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Annette Elg - Treasurer</li>

</ul>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">Contact Details</h3>

Postal Address: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_note-Foundation_990_form_2011-18" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[19]</a>

J.R. Simplot Company

P.O. Box 27

Boise, Idaho 83707

<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; background-image: none;">Resources and Articles</h2>

<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; background-image: none;">References</h3>

<li id="cite_note-0" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,J.R. Simplot, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.simplot.com/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Corporate Overview</a>," corporate website, accessed July 8, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-990_form_2012-1" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-990_form_2012_1-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-990_form_2012_1-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-990_form_2012_1-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">2.2</a> J.R. Simplot, "[HYPERLINK <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/820/522/2012-820522113-08f83a54-F.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAQAAAAnOwc2AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAE5JREFUeF5lykEKgDAMBdF/+17Es/QkiosiCBURXIzJooZohmweX6gwmkCeI+Oqc2C1FnvnF2ejlQYU0tLK2NjY6f/l8V12Ti7uhFFgDj19b58EwXuqkAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg=="); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/820/522/2012-820522113-08f83a54-F.pdf</a> 2012 Annual Report]," corporate document, February 11, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-2" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> , J.R. Simplot, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.simplot.com/about" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Corporate Overview</a>," corporate website, accessed July 8, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Contact-3" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Contact_3-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Contact_3-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">4.1</a> , J.R. Simplot, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.simplot.com/contact_us" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Corporate Contact</a>," corporate website, accessed July 8th, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Hoovers-4" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Hoovers_4-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Hoovers_4-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">5.1</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.JR_Simplot_Company.a92e52fa3459d972.html" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">J.R. Simplot Company, Company Information</a>, "Hoovers", accessed July 9, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-5" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-5" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=779&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=tqryqge1y5.app339a" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAIVJREFUeF6tjzsKg0AQhi09mimsFJLCzpNYCGKbK3gAtfUIljaCoKCCZIs8MMV2v+yCg8siWlh8zOtjhjEAEFmeIopDQtTrTJNEZIxhWysiNfULJFJjDzGnba/aBt4+wAuBzD+tg6a8SVkXf4GET96xmDxNzP39IvE/PPDtXIyVpYinv14A5F0laJ8oYFgAAAAASUVORK5CYII="); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Are GE Potatoes Coming to a Store Near You?</a>, "Food & Water Watch", accessed July 9, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Businessweek-6" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Businessweek_6-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">7.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Businessweek_6-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">7.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Businessweek_6-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">7.2</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=173369" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Company Overview of J.R. Simplot Company</a>, "Bloomberg Businessweek", accessed July 9, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-LinkedIn-7" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-LinkedIn_7-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/23673?trk=tyah" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">J.R. Simplot Company</a>, "Linked In", accessed July 10, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-yahoo-8" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.2</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.3</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-4" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.4</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-5" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.5</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-6" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.6</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-yahoo_8-7" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">9.7</a> , John Miller,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.yahoo.com/idaho-spud-giant-bets-biotech-potatoes-074033796.html" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Idaho spud giant bets on biotech potatoes</a>, "Associated Press", May 14, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Federal_Register-9" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Federal_Register_9-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/05/03/2013-10504/jr-simplot-co-availability-of-petition-for-determination-of-nonregulated-status-of-potato" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAIVJREFUeF6tjzsKg0AQhi09mimsFJLCzpNYCGKbK3gAtfUIljaCoKCCZIs8MMV2v+yCg8siWlh8zOtjhjEAEFmeIopDQtTrTJNEZIxhWysiNfULJFJjDzGnba/aBt4+wAuBzD+tg6a8SVkXf4GET96xmDxNzP39IvE/PPDtXIyVpYinv14A5F0laJ8oYFgAAAAASUVORK5CYII="); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">J.R. Simplot Co.; Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Potato Genetically Engineered for Low Acrylamide Potential and Reduced Black Spot Bruise</a>, "Federal Register", May 3, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-GLP-10" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-GLP_10-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">11.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-GLP_10-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">11.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-GLP_10-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">11.2</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-GLP_10-3" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">11.3</a> , Karl Haro von Mogel,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.biofortified.org/2013/05/qa-with-haven-baker-innate-potatoes/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Q&A with Haven Baker on Simplot’s Innate™ Potatoes</a>, "Biology Fortified, Inc", May 8, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-11" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-11" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=779&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=tqryqge1y5.app339a" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAIVJREFUeF6tjzsKg0AQhi09mimsFJLCzpNYCGKbK3gAtfUIljaCoKCCZIs8MMV2v+yCg8siWlh8zOtjhjEAEFmeIopDQtTrTJNEZIxhWysiNfULJFJjDzGnba/aBt4+wAuBzD+tg6a8SVkXf4GET96xmDxNzP39IvE/PPDtXIyVpYinv14A5F0laJ8oYFgAAAAASUVORK5CYII="); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Are GE Potatoes Coming to a Store Near You?</a>, "Food & Water Watch", accessed July 9, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-12" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-12" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> , Jill Ettinger,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/theyre-back-gmo-potato-producer-seeks-usda-approval-for-new-variety/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">They’re Back: GMO Potato Producer Seeks USDA Approval for New Variety</a>, "Organic Authority", May 8, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-13" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-13" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> J.R. Simplot, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.simplot.com/about/board_of_directors" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Corporate Leadership</a>," corporate website, accessed July 8, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-14" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-14" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> , J.R. Simplot, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sos.idaho.gov/servlet/TransformXMLDoc?URL=%5C20121220%5CXMLPORTS12355093.xml" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Annual Report</a>, corporate document, December 20, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-15" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-15" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/marketing-lists.JR_Simplot_Company.a92e52fa3459d972.html" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">J.R. Simplot Company Marketing Contacts</a>, "Hoovers", accessed July 10, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-16" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-16" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> ,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.insideview.com/directory/j-r-simplot-company" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">J. R. Simplot Company</a>, "InsideView", July 5th, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-17" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-17" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">↑</a> , J.R. Simplot,<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sos.idaho.gov/tiffpilot/tiffpilot.exe?FN=\sosimg\corp$/%5C20130619%5CAREPORTS13170092521.tif" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Statement of Change of Registered Agent</a>, corporate document, June 13, 2013.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Foundation_990_form_2011-18" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Foundation_990_form_2011_18-0" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">19.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R.Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Foundation_990_form_2011_18-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">19.1</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Talk:J.R._Simplot&diff=623885&oldid=623881#cite_ref-Foundation_990_form_2011_18-2" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">19.2</a> J.R. Simplot Foundation, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/826/003/2011-826003437-0871e5c4-F.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAQAAAAnOwc2AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAE5JREFUeF5lykEKgDAMBdF/+17Es/QkiosiCBURXIzJooZohmweX6gwmkCeI+Oqc2C1FnvnF2ejlQYU0tLK2NjY6f/l8V12Ti7uhFFgDj19b58EwXuqkAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg=="); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">2011 Annual Report</a>," corporate document, August 22, 2012.</li>

</ol>

</div>

</div>

Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have joined the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Farmers of America, pesticide manufacturers, mining companies, home builders, state and local governments, water utilities, flood control districts, the timber industry, railroads, real estate developers and even golf course operators among the more than 230 organizations and companies that have listed “Waters of the United States” on federal lobbying disclosures since the administration proposed the rule in March 2014.

Many food and beverage giants have pitched their thoughts to lawmakers on the measure, too, including Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Land O’Lakes, the potato giant J.R. Simplot and Ocean Spray Cranberries. Also weighing in are about 40 energy companies, including Halliburton, BP, Shell, Chevron, Rio Tinto and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, in addition to two dozen power companies such as Duke Energy and Pepco.

Many of the groups also made their case directly to White House and EPA officials during more than a dozen visits after the rule was sent for review at the Office of Management and Budget, meeting records show.

The lobbying effort has already had some success.

This month, the House passed a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1732?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR+1732%22%5D%7D" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;">bill</a> from Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) that would force EPA and the Army Corps to kick their rule back to the drawing board and consult with states and industries before writing a new proposal. The 261-155 vote included yes votes from 24 Democrats, of whom eight sit on the House Agriculture Committee and two sit on Energy and Commerce. Four of the Democrats are from energy-heavy Texas.

The Senate is considering a similar <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1140" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.25s ease 0s;">measure</a> from Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) that is awaiting a vote in the Environment and Public Works Committee and has the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Other supporters include three Democrats on the Agriculture Committee: Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Barrasso’s measure includes more detailed consultation requirements than the House version and sets a Dec. 31, 2016, goal for EPA to finish a revised rule.

</div>

Two-faced Fish in a Barrel

Submitted by lgc_admin on Wed, 06/20/2012 - 20:45.

Tags

By Lloyd G. Carter

"They are putting the heat on me. I was dumpin' in the river for years and years and I got by in good shape but now I've spent millions cleanin' the water up. I did it in Washington. I had to do it in Oregon. It's the law of the land now. Mighta killed a few fish and suckers but never hurt anything. They're blowin' holes around the feedlot in Washington to see if I'm pollutin' the goddamn water. Maybe we won't be able to feed cattle anywhere any more, I don't know. The problem is there's too many goddamn regulations.  Now, if you build a manger you got to go to town and ask 'em for permission to do it."

Idaho potato, livestock and fertilizer kingpin J.R. Simplot talking about pollution at his feedlots in a 1998 interview with Range Magazine ["The Cowboy Spirit on America's Outback"]. Simplot died in 2008 at the age of 99, with a worth estimated at $3.8 billion.

On June 14, 2012 Jon Stewart's Daily Show on the Comedy Channel ran a six-minute segment (available at www.thedailyshow.com) on the deformities in trout in eastern Idaho caused by the trace element selenium in mining wastes from the J.R. Simplot Smoky Canyon Mine.  Daily Show Fake Reporter Aasif Mandvi - in a segment titled "A Simple Plot" - skewered the Simplot Company and the EPA, accusing Simplot of a corporate conspiracy.  Mandvi pointed out that  Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, whose district includes the Simplot mine, also chairs the House subcommittee which oversees the EPA budget.

Officials of both Simplot and EPA called police when Mandvi (in one instance wearing a two-headed fish costume) and his crew showed up for interviews. Even famed corporate whistleblower Erin Brockovich was interviewed and urged Mandvi to keep blowing the whistle.

However, unmentioned in the segment was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), whose experts had debunked a Simplot consulting report which claimed the creeks receiving the tainted mining wastes could actually receive even higher levels of selenium. What follows is an explanation of why you did not get to see the FWS scientist who blew the lid off the deeply flawed Simplot report on The Daily Show, why FWS's institutional timidity seems deeply ingrained, and why the selenium pollution problem is far bigger than the Simplot mine.

But first some background:

According to a May 2012 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report:

Since the early 1900s, phosphate rock—the only economically viable source of phosphorus used to make detergents, herbicides, and fertilizer—has been mined on predominantly federal land in southeastern Idaho, which is part of the Western Phosphate Field. The Western Phosphate Field comprises about 86 million acres of land in the Rocky Mountains from Utah and Colorado stretching north into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. However, in 1996 selenium—a potentially toxic chemical that leached out of the waste rock taken from phosphate mines—was discovered in southeastern Idaho, and since then an estimated 600 head of livestock (including horses, cattle, and sheep) have died after ingesting plants or surface water containing high concentrations of selenium. [fn. omitted] As was common practice at these mines, to facilitate the removal of the phosphate rock, operators had used the waste rock, called overburden, as backfill and placed it in large external waste rock piles or in adjacent valleys. [fn omitted].

The part of the sentence above in red is incorrect. Selenium was identified in Southeast Idaho soils as early as 1906. It was livestock deaths due to selenium that were discovered in 1996.

The GAO report said that in southeastern Idaho, selenium contamination has been measured at three of the five active phosphate mines and at all 13 inactive mines.

The GAO report also said:

Over the last 16 years, federal agencies and mine operators have primarily focused on assessing the extent of selenium contamination in Idaho and have conducted only limited remediation actions. The agencies have conducted or overseen high-level assessments of contamination at 16 of the 18 mines where federal agencies are overseeing mining operations or cleanup activities, and at several of these mines the agencies and mine operators are now conducting more detailed assessments, known as remedial investigations and feasibility studies. However, no final cleanup actions have been chosen at any of the sites, and according to officials, most sites will require years of additional investigative work before final cleanup actions are selected. Federal agencies reported that they have spent about $19 million since 2001 to oversee these assessments and undertake a limited number of remediation actions, roughly half of which has been reimbursed by the mine operators under cleanup settlement agreements. Mine operators told GAO that they too have spent millions of dollars in additional assessment and remediation work but did not provide documentary evidence to support these claims. Agency officials told GAO that they have not developed estimates for the remaining cleanup costs because final cleanup remedies have not yet been identified. However, their informal estimates suggest that remaining cleanup costs may total hundreds of millions of dollars for the contamination from mining in Idaho. [Emphasis added.]

The GAO report also said some of the mine operators or leaseholders may simply file for bankruptcy, leaving the American taxpayers to fund the cleanup. Simplot is the most high profile of the mine operations, which also include chemical giant Monsanto, FMC and Agrium.

"[T]he fact remains that after years of study and millions of dollars spent, the agencies and mine operators are still years away from fully understanding the extent of contamination in the area and many more years from completing actual mine cleanup," The GAO report said.

During the last 16 years of studying the problem, very little has been done in the way of cleanup, and remediation may not even began for several more years. Meanwhile, all of the active mines continue to operate and more selenium is poisoning the groundwater, which seeps into creeks which feed the Blackfoot and Snake rivers. All the tainted mines are now Superfund sites but under Clean Water Act law mining companies can petition for a site specific rule to continue operations, if they can show there will be no further environmental harm from contaminant dumping.

In 2003, Simplot signed a cleanup agreement with the federal government, including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. In 2006, Simplot estimated cleanup costs at its Smoky Mountain mine at $112 million and launched another 694 page "study" (2,700 pages with appendices) that was completed last year, which included the two-headed trout picture buried in an appendix. That Simplot report, submitted to the state of Idaho in August of 2010, was conducted by Formation Environmental of Boulder, Colo. and Habitech of Laramie, Wyoming. Those  consultants claimed the current selenium safety standard for the nearby creeks could be raised to 22 parts per million in fish eggs, which is the equivalent of 11 parts per billion in the water, more than double the EPA's safe limit limit of 5 parts per billion. Several experts said the safety limit for fish should actually be as low as 2 parts per billion.

Ironically, the control group of trout raised in a hatchery also included two-headed fish. Joe Skorupa , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's selenium expert, acknowledged two-headed fish do occur in the wild on occasion and it may be possible the two-headed trout was not poisoned by selenium. Skorupa said this could not be determined conclusively because Simplot consultants have refused to turn over all of their research data to the government.

However, Skorupa said there is no doubt the selenium levels in Crow and Sage Creeks, caused elevated cranial and facial deformities. Pregnant fish in those two creeks were captured and placed in hatcheries where the fry (newborn) were studied for deformities. Skorupa said that if tissues levels of selenium in fish were at the level sought by Simplot, the deformity rate would be an estimated 70 percent of the fish. While there are state warning signs at those creeks that say children under seven should not consume the fish, there is no similar warning for pregnant women.

When the scathing Skorupa team review report, which was peer reviewed by three independent experts, was released to Congressional committees at the end of January, Simplot spokesman David Cuoio, claimed, "We're not aware of any two-headed fish near our facilities. I'm not sure who took those pictures or where they were taken." Cuoio, obviously, later had to backtrack. Simplot submitted its proposal to raise the selenium standard to the state of Idaho on January 30 of this year. The Smoky Canyon mine is scheduled to be shut down by 2017 but Simplot wants to build another mine.

More than a year ago, on March 30, 2011, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, after prompting from Idaho fishermen and environmentalists, including the Greater Yellowstone Coalition,  asked the FWS to review the Simplot report. Skorupa, who has been studying selenium toxicology in wildlife for nearly three decades, headed a FWS team which concluded the Simplot consulting report was badly flawed science.

In January of this year, the Skorupa team's review was ready to be sent to Sen. Boxer's Committee and the EPA but needed approval from the Department of Interior, parent agency of the FWS, and the White House.  My sources tell me the White House had no problem with releasing the report but asked that it be delayed until after the President's State of the Union message, which was delivered on January 24.

Significantly, FWS did not do a press release, although two-headed fish should be newsworthy.  Apparently, FWS top officials naively hoped the bad news could be kept quiet.

However, word of the Skorupa report quickly leaked out.  On February 4, I reported on my website that Patrick Porgans, a California State Water Resources Control Board watchdog and top notch investigator, had broken the story of the two-headed fish. Porgans had been sitting on the story for months in order to protect his sources. Porgan's detailed report can be found at his website: www.planetarysolutionaires.org. Reuters News Service, the European-based agency, also ran a story, which was reprinted at the Scientific American magazine website. Major American newspaper outlets and major TV news organizations were strangely silent.

Then New York Times science reporter Leslie Kaufman began looking into the story. She called me in mid-February and we spent about 20 minutes on the phone. I told her selenium pollution was a national problem, not just one confined to a few creeks in Idaho. She told me she would be just focusing on the Simplot mine story for now. (I later learned Skorupa had also urged Kaufman to look at selenium pollution nationwide from coal mines in West Virginia to irrigation of high selenium soils in the western San Joaquin Valley.)

Kaufman's well-written story was published on February 22. It can be read HERE. Kaufman wrote:

" The service’s review, released last month, was scathing, describing the study as  “biased” and “highly questionable.” Joseph Skorupa, the service’s selenium expert,           cited a “lack of valid field controls” and the absence of any analysis of the selenium’s       impact on reptiles, birds or the 12 other types of fish in the creeks’ waters. Most  troubling, he wrote, was that the researchers systematically undermeasured the rate            of serious deformities in baby fish, which were pictured only in an appendix."

Kaufman quoted Skorupa's report but FWS officials permitted her to speak to Skorupa only on background and not quote him directly.

Kaufman  noted Alan L. Prouty, Simplot’s vice president for environmental and regulatory affairs, declined to comment beyond saying that the agency’s review was “totally outside the regulatory process.” In other words, Simplot's sweetheart relationship with EPA was being impeded by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and FWS should butt out.

Clearly, Rep. Mike Simpson, who chairs the House subcommittee which oversees not only the EPA budget but also the FWS budget, was not happy.  Simpson is rightfully concerned about loss of jobs in his state, although he seems less concerned about poisoning livestock, deer and fish. It should be pointed out Simpson receives tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the mining companies, including $10,000 from Monsanto and $5,000 from Simplot in the 2011-2012 campaign cycle alone.

So it is not surprising that, Rep. Simpson called in Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe for a meeting on March 29 to discuss the Smoky Canyon Mine/selenium problem.  Congressional sources tell me Simpson leaned on Director Ashe to negotiate a deal to take wolves off the endangered species list and held up Ashe's appointment as director until that was done. Simpson said anyone should be free to shoot wolves if they harmed livestock.

In a February 14, 2011 press release, Rep. Simpson said "It makes no sense to call wolves in Idaho and Montana an endangered species. Not only do wolf populations far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management those populations have grown to the point where they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and wreaking havoc for ranchers, hunters, and public land users in Idaho."

When Ashe appeared this March before Simpson's house subcommittee, which oversees FWS funding, Simpson fumed: “Whether it’s to save snails or slickspot peppergrass, the last thing Idahoans want is the federal government telling them what they can’t do on their own land or otherwise disrupting a sustainable way of life they’ve known for generations. There has got to be a better way to properly balance recovery with people’s livelihoods.” Environmentalists and wildlife groups strongly disagree with the claim that wolf populations in Idaho and Montana are thriving.

Chris Tollefson, Chief of Communications for the FWS, would later claim he was unaware of the private March 29 meeting between Simpson and Ashe in which they discussed the Smoky Canyon Simplot mine. Tollefson would not allow me to interview Ashe.

On March 2, a Daily Show producer, who had read the New York Times story, called Skorupa and asked for an interview. Skorupa said he would do an interview providing he obtained permission from his superiors. Skorupa emailed Tollefson to tell him about the call. Skorupa's superior, Roger Helm, also emailed Tollefson a short time later.

Helm wrote that the Daily Show interview

"is a great opportunity for the FWS, DOI [Department of Interior]  and the Fed gov. The message is NOT about us and EPA or what EPA did or did not or should or should not do, it's about dedicated government scientists digging deep into a flawed report and exposing the flaws that were buried behind a large facade of technical gobbled gook. It's a win for the fish, wildlife, and human population of Idaho and for many other areas in the US that might have been exposed to very high selenium levels, but for the work of federal scientists. I'm confident Joe can deliver that message and I hope he is given the chance."

Christine Eustis, Deputy Director for External Affairs wrote back to Skorupa and Helm: "Joe and Roger: thanks for your comments. The decision of whether we do this national interview will rest with DOI and the Director."  [Emphasis added.] As will be shown below, this contradicts the claim of FWS "Communications Chief" Chris Tollefson, who asserted he alone made the decision to block Skorupa from appearing on the Daily Show, albeit with concurrence from his superiors.

On April 25, I posted a blog entry about cowardice in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

I wrote:

I've learned staffers of comedian Jon Stewart of the Daily Show have been poking around about the two-headed trout story and wanted to interview Skorupa, unquestionably one of the premier selenium wildlife toxicology experts in the U.S. Skorupa, now working in the Washington, D.C. area, was denied permission to speak to the folks at the Daily Show by his superiors in the FWS Director's Office. [Emphasis in red added.]

I also speculated: "So is acting FWS director Rowan Gould a coward when it comes to defending his scientists or does he rationalize his muzzling of Skorupa for political/financial reasons?"   On May 16, I received the following email:

Mr. Carter,

I am the [Fish and Wildlife] Service official who dealt directly with Joe Skorupa in response to the Daily Show request, and I can tell you emphatically (and provide documentation) to show that he was NOT prohibited IN ANY WAY from going on the show. In fact, he was told explicitly that he had the right to do so. I'm extremely disappointed that you did not afford us the opportunity to respond to these allegations before publishing your blog. Fairness and ethical journalism demands no less. As things stand, I respectfully request the opportunity to respond in the same forum on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Service. I'm happy to talk to you any time about this issue. Please feel free to call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.  [Emphasis added.]

Thanks,

Chris Tollefson

Chief of Communications

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I then immediately emailed Mr. Tollefson back and stated "If you are correct I, of course, will run a correction/apology and will afford you an opportunity to post something on my website unedited."

The next day I asked for the documentation he referred to in his initial email and he sent me the following email exchange between himself and Skorupa:

Lloyd,

Per your request, I am forwarding you this email I sent to Joe Skorupa concerning the request he received to be on the Daily Show. I'm going to forward you another email that further articulates what I told my leadership and Joe.  [This was never done.]

A few points I would like to emphasize:

As these emails demonstrate, at no time was Joe ever told he could not appear on the show. In fact, I made it clear that he had the right to do so.

However, as an agency we have the right and obligation to decide who represents us in an official capacity in front of the public, as well as the method in which we do so. I made clear to Joe that he didn't need our permission to participate in the show, as long as he made it clear that he was not speaking for the agency in this venue, and that his personal views may not necessarily reflect those of the Service. Which is objectively true.

We have strongly supported Joe throughout this process, and we stand behind his report and its conclusions. The report speaks for itself, as an official scientific document and we believe it does a great job of analyzing the Simplot report. For the reasons I outlined in this message, the Daily Show was not a venue that supported what we were trying to accomplish in this process. But I have never, and will never, be in the position of telling any of our people that they cannot speak to the media about their work. In fact, I've spent more than a year revising and updating our an agency-wide media policy to clearly and explicitly articulate to our employees that they have this right.

And for the record, Rowan Gould hasn't been our Acting Director in nearly a year. Dan Ashe was confirmed as our Director in July of last year, and for nearly a decade before that played a leading role as Science Advisor in strengthening our agency's scientific integrity policies and practices. If you had visited our website or otherwise investigated this issue, that would have become apparent.

For these reasons, I feel you owe the Service an apology and a correction.

Please feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this further - or for information on any future issue you may be contemplating as a subject. We're here to help.

Thanks,

Chris

Also attached was Tollefson's email to Skorupa, dated March 15, as follows:......

===

selenium, idaho daily show, water

<h1 class="title" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Two-faced Fish in a Barrel</h1>

<div class="node" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 2em; padding: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Submitted by lgc_admin on Wed, 06/20/2012 - 20:45.

</div></fieldset>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">By Lloyd G. Carter</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">      "They are putting the heat on me. I was dumpin' in the river for years and years and I got by in good shape but now I've spent millions cleanin' the water up. I did it in Washington. I had to do it in Oregon. It's the law of the land now. Mighta killed a few fish and suckers but never hurt anything. They're blowin' holes around the feedlot in Washington to see if I'm pollutin' the goddamn water. Maybe we won't be able to feed cattle anywhere any more, I don't know. The problem is there's too many goddamn regulations.  Now, if you build a manger you got to go to town and ask 'em for permission to do it."</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">     Idaho potato, livestock and fertilizer kingpin J.R. Simplot talking about pollution at his feedlots in a 1998 interview with Range Magazine ["The Cowboy Spirit on America's Outback"]. Simplot died in 2008 at the age of 99, with a worth estimated at $3.8 billion.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            On June 14, 2012 Jon Stewart's Daily Show on the Comedy Channel ran a six-minute segment (available at www.<a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-14-2012/a-simple-plot" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">thedailyshow</a>.com) on the deformities in trout in eastern Idaho caused by the trace element selenium in mining wastes from the J.R. Simplot Smoky Canyon Mine.  Daily Show Fake Reporter Aasif Mandvi - in a segment titled "A Simple Plot" - skewered the Simplot Company and the EPA, accusing Simplot of a corporate conspiracy.  Mandvi pointed out that  Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, whose district includes the Simplot mine, also chairs the House subcommittee which oversees the EPA budget.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            Officials of both Simplot and EPA called police when Mandvi (in one instance wearing a two-headed fish costume) and his crew showed up for interviews. Even famed corporate whistleblower Erin Brockovich was interviewed and urged Mandvi to keep blowing the whistle.  </div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            However, unmentioned in the segment was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), whose experts had debunked a Simplot consulting report which claimed the creeks receiving the tainted mining wastes could actually receive even higher levels of selenium. What follows is an explanation of why you did not get to see the FWS scientist who blew the lid off the deeply flawed Simplot report on The Daily Show, why FWS's institutional timidity seems deeply ingrained, and why the selenium pollution problem is far bigger than the Simplot mine.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            But first some background:</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            According to a May 2012 Government Accountability Office (GAO) <a href="http://gao.gov/assets/600/590642.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">report</a>:</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            Since the early 1900s, phosphate rock—the only economically viable source of phosphorus used to make detergents, herbicides, and fertilizer—has been mined on predominantly federal land in southeastern Idaho, which is part of the Western Phosphate Field. The Western Phosphate Field comprises about 86 million acres of land in the Rocky Mountains from Utah and Colorado stretching north into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. However, in 1996 selenium—a potentially toxic chemical that leached out of the waste rock taken from phosphate mines—was discovered in southeastern Idaho, and since then an estimated 600 head of livestock (including horses, cattle, and sheep) have died after ingesting plants or surface water containing high concentrations of selenium. [fn. omitted] As was common practice at these mines, to facilitate the removal of the phosphate rock, operators had used the waste rock, called overburden, as backfill and placed it in large external waste rock piles or in adjacent valleys. [fn omitted].</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            The part of the sentence above in red is incorrect. Selenium was identified in Southeast Idaho soils as early as 1906. It was livestock deaths due to selenium that were discovered in 1996.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            The GAO report said that in southeastern Idaho, selenium contamination has been measured at three of the five active phosphate mines and at all 13 inactive mines.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">      Over the last 16 years, federal agencies and mine operators have primarily focused on assessing the extent of selenium contamination in Idaho and have conducted only limited remediation actions. The agencies have conducted or overseen high-level assessments of contamination at 16 of the 18 mines where federal agencies are overseeing mining operations or cleanup activities, and at several of these mines the agencies and mine operators are now conducting more detailed assessments, known as remedial investigations and feasibility studies. However,no final cleanup actions have been chosen at any of the sites, and according to officials, most sites will require years of additional investigative work before final cleanup actions are selected. Federal agencies reported that they have spent about $19 million since 2001 to oversee these assessments and undertake a limited number of remediation actions, roughly half of which has been reimbursed by the mine operators under cleanup settlement agreements. Mine operators told GAO that they too have spent millions of dollars in additional assessment and remediation work but did not provide documentary evidence to support these claims.Agency officials told GAO that they have not developed estimates for the remaining cleanup costs because final cleanup remedies have not yet been identified. However, their informal estimates suggest that remaining cleanup costs may total hundreds of millions of dollars for the contamination from mining in Idaho. [Emphasis added.]</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            The GAO report also said some of the mine operators or leaseholders may simply file for bankruptcy, leaving the American taxpayers to fund the cleanup. Simplot is the most high profile of the mine operations, which also include chemical giant Monsanto, FMC and Agrium.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            "[T]he fact remains that after years of study and millions of dollars spent, the agencies and mine operators are still years away from fully understanding the extent of contamination in the area and many more years from completing actual mine cleanup," The GAO report said.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            During the last 16 years of studying the problem, very little has been done in the way of cleanup, and remediation may not even began for several more years. Meanwhile, all of the active mines continue to operate and more selenium is poisoning the groundwater, which seeps into creeks which feed the Blackfoot and Snake rivers. All the tainted mines are now Superfund sites but under Clean Water Act law mining companies can petition for a site specific rule to continue operations, if they can show there will be no further environmental harm from contaminant dumping.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            In 2003, Simplot signed a cleanup agreement with the federal government, including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. In 2006, Simplot estimated cleanup costs at its Smoky Mountain mine at $112 million and launched another 694 page "study" (2,700 pages with appendices) that was completed last year, which included the two-headed trout picture buried in an appendix. That Simplot report, submitted to the state of Idaho in August of 2010, was conducted by Formation Environmental of Boulder, Colo. and Habitech of Laramie, Wyoming. Those  consultants claimed the current selenium safety standard for the nearby creeks could be raised to 22 parts per million in fish eggs, which is the equivalent of 11 parts per billion in the water, more than double the EPA's safe limit limit of 5 parts per billion. Several experts said the safety limit for fish should actually be as low as 2 parts per billion.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            Ironically, the control group of trout raised in a hatchery also included two-headed fish. Joe Skorupa , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's selenium expert, acknowledged two-headed fish do occur in the wild on occasion and it may be possible the two-headed trout was not poisoned by selenium. Skorupa said this could not be determined conclusively because Simplot consultants have refused to turn over all of their research data to the government.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            However, Skorupa said there is no doubt the selenium levels in Crow and Sage Creeks, caused elevated cranial and facial deformities. Pregnant fish in those two creeks were captured and placed in hatcheries where the fry (newborn) were studied for deformities. Skorupa said that if tissues levels of selenium in fish were at the level sought by Simplot, the deformity rate would be an estimated 70 percent of the fish. While there are state warning signs at those creeks that say children under seven should not consume the fish, there is no similar warning for pregnant women.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            When the scathing Skorupa team review report, which was peer reviewed by three independent experts, was released to Congressional committees at the end of January, Simplot spokesman David Cuoio, claimed, "We're not aware of any two-headed fish near our facilities. I'm not sure who took those pictures or where they were taken." Cuoio, obviously, later had to backtrack. Simplot submitted its proposal to raise the selenium standard to the state of Idaho on January 30 of this year. The Smoky Canyon mine is scheduled to be shut down by 2017 but Simplot wants to build another mine.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            More than a year ago, on March 30, 2011, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, after prompting from Idaho fishermen and environmentalists, including the Greater Yellowstone Coalition,  asked the FWS to review the Simplot report. Skorupa, who has been studying selenium toxicology in wildlife for nearly three decades, headed a FWS team which concluded the Simplot consulting report was badly flawed science.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            In January of this year, the Skorupa team's review was ready to be sent to Sen. Boxer's Committee and the EPA but needed approval from the Department of Interior, parent agency of the FWS, and the White House.  My sources tell me the White House had no problem with releasing the report but asked that it be delayed until after the President's State of the Union message, which was delivered on January 24.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">           Significantly, FWS did not do a press release, although two-headed fish should be newsworthy.  Apparently, FWS top officials naively hoped the bad news could be kept quiet.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            However, word of the Skorupa report quickly leaked out.  On February 4, I reported on my website that Patrick Porgans, a California State Water Resources Control Board watchdog and top notch investigator, had broken the story of the two-headed fish. Porgans had been sitting on the story for months in order to protect his sources. Porgan's detailed report can be found at his website:<a href="http://www.planetarysolutionaires.org/" title="www.planetarysolutionaires.org" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">www.planetarysolutionaires.org</a>. Reuters News Service, the European-based agency, also ran a story, which was reprinted at the Scientific American magazine website. Major American newspaper outlets and major TV news organizations were strangely silent.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Then New York Times science reporter Leslie Kaufman began looking into the story. She called me in mid-February and we spent about 20 minutes on the phone. I told her selenium pollution was a nationalproblem, not just one confined to a few creeks in Idaho. She told me she would be just focusing on the Simplot mine story for now. (I later learned Skorupa had also urged Kaufman to look at selenium pollution nationwide from coal mines in West Virginia to irrigation of high selenium soils in the western San Joaquin Valley.)</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Kaufman's well-written story was published on February 22. It can be read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/science/earth/mutated-trout-raise-new-concerns-over-selenium.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">HERE</a>. Kaufman wrote:</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            " The service’s <a title="The Fish and Wildlife Service’s review." href="http://www.fws.gov/contaminants/pdf/ReviewSmokyCanyonMineSeleniumReport.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">review</a>, released last month, was scathing, describing the study as  “biased” and “highly questionable.” Joseph Skorupa, the service’s selenium expert,           cited a “lack of valid field controls” and the absence of any analysis of the selenium’s       impact on reptiles, birds or the 12 other types of fish in the creeks’ waters. Most  troubling, he wrote, was that the researchers systematically undermeasured the rate            of serious deformities in baby fish, which were pictured only in an appendix."</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Kaufman quoted Skorupa's report but FWS officials permitted her to speak to Skorupa only on background and not quote him directly.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Kaufman  noted Alan L. Prouty, Simplot’s vice president for environmental and regulatory affairs, declined to comment beyond saying that the agency’s review was “totally outside the regulatory process.” In other words, Simplot's sweetheart relationship with EPA was being impeded by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and FWS should butt out.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Clearly, Rep. Mike Simpson, who chairs the House subcommittee which oversees not only the EPA budget but also the FWS budget, was not happy.  Simpson is rightfully concerned about loss of jobs in his state, although he seems less concerned about poisoning livestock, deer and fish. It should be pointed out Simpson receives tens of thousands of dollars in campaign <a href="http://www.congress.org/bio/id/209" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">donations</a> from the mining companies, including $10,000 from Monsanto and $5,000 from Simplot in the 2011-2012 campaign cycle alone.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">              So it is not surprising that, Rep. Simpson called in Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe for a meeting on March 29 to discuss the Smoky Canyon Mine/selenium problem.  Congressional sources tell me Simpson leaned on Director Ashe to negotiate a deal to take wolves off the endangered species list and held up Ashe's appointment as director until that was done. Simpson said anyone should be free to shoot wolves if they harmed livestock.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            In a February 14, 2011 press release, Rep. Simpson said "It makes no sense to call wolves in Idaho and Montana an endangered species. Not only do wolf populations far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management those populations have grown to the point where they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and wreaking havoc for ranchers, hunters, and public land users in Idaho."</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">           When Ashe appeared this March before Simpson's house subcommittee, which oversees FWS funding, Simpson fumed: “Whether it’s to save snails or slickspot peppergrass, the last thing Idahoans want is the federal government telling them what they can’t do on their own land or otherwise disrupting a sustainable way of life they’ve known for generations. There has got to be a better way to properly balance recovery with people’s livelihoods.” Environmentalists and wildlife groups strongly disagree with the claim that wolf populations in Idaho and Montana are thriving.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;"> Chris Tollefson, Chief of Communications for the FWS, would later claim he was unaware of the private March 29 meeting between Simpson and Ashe in which they discussed the Smoky Canyon Simplot mine. Tollefson would not allow me to interview Ashe.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            On March 2, a Daily Show producer, who had read the New York Times story, called Skorupa and asked for an interview. Skorupa said he would do an interview providing he obtained permission from his superiors. Skorupa emailed Tollefson to tell him about the call. Skorupa's superior, Roger Helm, also emailed Tollefson a short time later.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">      "is a great opportunity for the FWS, DOI [Department of Interior]  and the Fed gov. The message is NOT about us and EPA or what EPA did or did not or should or should not do, it's about dedicated government scientists digging deep into a flawed report and exposing the flaws that were buried behind a large facade of technical gobbled gook. It's a win for the fish, wildlife, and human population of Idaho and for many other areas in the US that might have been exposed to very high selenium levels, but for the work of federal scientists. I'm confident Joe can deliver that message and I hope he is given the chance."</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            Christine Eustis, Deputy Director for External Affairs wrote back to Skorupa and Helm: "Joe and Roger: thanks for your comments. The decision of whether we do this national interview will rest with DOI and the Director."  [Emphasis added.] As will be shown below, this contradicts the claim of FWS "Communications Chief" Chris Tollefson, who asserted he alone made the decision to block Skorupa from appearing on the Daily Show, albeit with concurrence from his superiors.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; line-height: 16.8pt; background: white;">            On April 25, I posted a blog entry about cowardice in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">       I've learned staffers of comedian Jon Stewart of the Daily Show have been poking around about the two-headed trout story and wanted to interview Skorupa, unquestionably one of the premier selenium wildlife toxicology experts in the U.S. Skorupa, now working in the Washington, D.C. area, was denied permission to speak to the folks at the Daily Show by his superiors in the FWS Director's Office. [Emphasis in red added.]</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">             I also speculated: "So is acting FWS director Rowan Gould a coward when it comes to defending his scientists or does he rationalize his muzzling of Skorupa for political/financial reasons?"   On May 16, I received the following email:</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            I am the [Fish and Wildlife] Service official who dealt directly with Joe Skorupa in response to the Daily Show request, and I can tell you emphatically (and provide documentation) to show that he was NOT prohibited IN ANY WAY from going on the show. In fact, he was told explicitly that he had the right to do so. I'm extremely disappointed that you did not afford us the opportunity to respond to these allegations before publishing your blog. Fairness and ethical journalism demands no less. As things stand, I respectfully request the opportunity to respond in the same forum on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Service. I'm happy to talk to you any time about this issue. Please feel free to call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.  [Emphasis added.]</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            I then immediately emailed Mr. Tollefson back and stated "If you are correct I, of course, will run a correction/apology and will afford you an opportunity to post something on my website unedited."</div>

<div style=" margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">            The next day I asked for the documentation he referred to in his initial email and he sent me the following email exchange between himself and Skorupa:</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">Per your request, I am forwarding you this email I sent to Joe Skorupa concerning the request he received to be on the Daily Show. I'm going to forward you another email that further articulates what I told my leadership and Joe.  [This was never done.]</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">As these emails demonstrate, at no time was Joe ever told he could not appear on the show. In fact, I made it clear that he had the right to do so.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">However, as an agency we have the right and obligation to decide who represents us in an official capacity in front of the public, as well as the method in which we do so. I made clear to Joe that he didn't need our permission to participate in the show, as long as he made it clear that he was not speaking for the agency in this venue, and that his personal views may not necessarily reflect those of the Service. Which is objectively true.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">We have strongly supported Joe throughout this process, and we stand behind his report and its conclusions. The report speaks for itself, as an official scientific document and we believe it does a great job of analyzing the Simplot report. For the reasons I outlined in this message, the Daily Show was not a venue that supported what we were trying to accomplish in this process. But I have never, and will never, be in the position of telling any of our people that they cannot speak to the media about their work. In fact, I've spent more than a year revising and updating our an agency-wide media policy to clearly and explicitly articulate to our employees that they have this right.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">And for the record, Rowan Gould hasn't been our Acting Director in nearly a year. Dan Ashe was confirmed as our Director in July of last year, and for nearly a decade before that played a leading role as Science Advisor in strengthening our agency's scientific integrity policies and practices. If you had visited our website or otherwise investigated this issue, that would have become apparent.</div>

<div style=" margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">Please feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this further - or for information on any future issue you may be contemplating as a subject. We're here to help.</div>

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