PCC public policy statements
From time to time, PCC Natural Markets takes positions on issues affecting the sustainability of our food supply. Here are the positions that PCC has taken in the last few years.
Agriculture and Farmland
October 15, 2007 — letter to U.S. Senators on the agriculture and finance committees, re: advocating support for specific measures in the developing Farm Bill.
August 27, 2007 — letter to USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service during a public comment period, urging a prohibition on outdoor plantings of genetically modified crops that produce experimental drugs and industrial chemicals.
January 18, 2007 — sign on letter to chairs and members of the U.S. House and Senate committees on Agriculture; Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition; and the Judiciary, re: unfair consolidation, concentration and market manipulation in agriculture must be addressed as a top priority when shaping the 2007 Farm Bill (goes to another Web site).
May 17, 2006 — to Director Jon DeVaney, USDA Rural Development Program, Re: to support the Northwest Cooperative Development Center's request for a USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant.
July 27, 2005 — to chairs and ranking members of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition, and Judiciary committees, Re: unfair competition and consolidation in agriculture.
June 21, 2005 — to Washington's two U.S. Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Re: support for Conservation Security Program funding, Country of Origin Labeling, and Farm to Cafeteria funding.
May 23, 2005 — to Sandy Boughton, Acting State Director, USDA Rural Development Program, Re: support for a pending request from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center to the USDA for a 2005 Rural Cooperative Development Grant.
August 27, 2004 — to Matt Gallo, Vice President of Coastal Operations, Gallo of Sonoma, Re: labor dispute with the United Farm Workers.
July 3, 2003 — to several members of Congress (see letter), Re: Value-Added Producer Grants Program (VAPG) and the Conservation Security Program (CSP).
June 12, 2003 — to Director Valoria Loveland, WA State Dept. of Agriculture, Re: WSDA's Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program.
February 25, 2001 — to EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman, Re: "Recycled" hazardous wastes in fertilizer, docket # F-2000-RZFP-FFFFF.
January 30, 2001 — to Senator Marilyn Rasmussen, WA State Agriculture Committee, Re: Bill #56-13 and the Small Farm & Direct Marketing program.
October 12, 2000 — to Dept. of Ecology, Mike Gallagher, Re: DOE's draft plan to eliminate dioxin and other PBT-contaminated substances.
October 12, 2000 — Thank you to Seattle Times, for covering story about PBTs being used in agricultural fertilizers.
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Food Safety and Irradiation
July 12, 2007 — U.S. Department of Agriculture during public comment period, on country-of-origin labeling, stating that PCC has implemented COOL without undue burden or expense.
June 16, 2006 — to Senators Cantwell and Murray, Re: urging a "No" vote on S. 3128, the so-called "National Uniformity for Food Act" that would eliminate nearly 200 state food safety and labeling laws.
March 1, 2006 — to letter sent to Washington state's U.S. Representatives urging them to vote no on the "National Uniformity for Food Act," which would eliminate stringent state food-safety protections.
June 17, 2004 — to Senators Cantwell and Murray, Re: Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization and irradiation.
January 18, 2002 — to Dr. Bernard Schwetz, US FDA, Re: Maintaining the current labeling law for irradiated foods.
July 21, 2000 — to USDA-APHIS, Regulatory Analysis & Development, PPD, Re: Docket No. 98-030-1, USDA's proposal to use irradiation on imported fruits and vegetables.
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Genetic Engineering
January 22, 2008 — Petition to the U. S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit pharmaceutical and industrial chemical production using genetically modified food crops grown outdoors.
March 6, 2007 — letter of comment re: the U.S. Department of Agriculture's pending consideration to allow experimental, genetically engineered safflower to produce pharmaceutical compounds on 1,000 acres in Washington state. Co-signed by more than 25 organizations.
July 12, 2006 — USDA, APHIS, Regulatory Analysis and Development, Re: urging the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to reject deregulation of a genetically engineered plum that would allow commercial planting for the food supply.
March 13, 2006 — sign on to memorandum from the Joint International GMO Day committee about the risks of consuming GE food (PDF). See the Joint International GMOpposition Day (JIGMOD) Web site for a current list of signatories.
March 2, 2006 — letter to Washington state legislators on the Senate Rules Committee, and Senate Ways and Means Committee urging an amendment to SHB 2640 to prohibit tax incentives for "pharma" crops engineered to produce experimental, untested drugs and chemicals in common food crops.
April 19, 2005 — to Washington State legislators asking support for $2.6 million in new funding for WSU's BioAg program.
February 18, 2004 — Sign-on to petition asking the USDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement on an application by Montsanto to release GE wheat. Addendum and associated documents
August 20, 2003 — Thank you to Rep. Jay Inslee, co-sponsoring the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act, H.R. 2916.
May 9, 2003 — to U.S.D.A., Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, re: Docket # 03-031-1, proposed rules to regulate genetically engineered crops containing pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals (biopharms).
August 22, 2000 — Thank you to Rep. Jack Metcalf, for co-sponsor of HR #3377, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act.
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Meat and Dairy
January 22, 2008 — letter to USDA re: the proposed "naturally raised" label is deficient and misleading.
March 2007 — to U.S. House and Senate committee members urging support for The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2007, legislation would restrict antibiotics as a feed-additive for livestock. The 2007 bill is the latest of several similar efforts, with signatories added over the years.
February 28, 2007 — sign on letter to the chairs and ranking members of the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees, re: urging implementation of country-of-origin labeling for beef, pork, lamb and produce, as mandated in 2002 (PDF) (goes to another Web site).
May 12, 2006 — to Mark Bradley, National Organic Program Administrator, Re: comment on how USDA should address access to pasture and replacement animals in the organic program.
June 24, 2005 — to U.S. Congressional representatives from Washington state, Re: urging support for the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 2562), limiting antibiotics in feed for livestock to prevent development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
June 21, 2005 — to Washington's two U.S. Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Re: support for Country of Origin Labeling, Conservation Security Program funding, and Farm to Cafeteria funding.
April 1, 2004 — to Dr. Attila Molnar, President and CEO, Bayer Corporation urging compliance with FDA ban on fluoroquinolone antibiotics in poultry. Sign-on letter sponsored by Environmental Defense.
August 16, 2000 — Thank you to Congressman Sherrod Brown, Re: sponsorship of HR 3266, the Preservation of Essential Antibiotics for Human Diseases Act.
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National Organic Standards
October 17, 2005 — Support for a proposed amendment to the National Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), following a federal court ruling on Harvey vs. Veneman that demands changes in organic rules..
September 20, 2005 — to Washington's two U.S. senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and to Senator Patrick Leahy, Re: proposed rider amendment to the Organic Food Production Act.
March 26, 2003 — Thank you to several U.S. representatives, Re: supporting the Farr-Kind bill, HR. 955, to reinstate the 100 percent organic feed requirement in the National Organic Standards.
March 26, 2003 — Thank you to Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Re: supporting the Leahy-Snowe bill, S. 457, to reinstate the 100 percent organic feed requirement in the National Organic Standards.
February 25, 2003 — to USDA, Honorable Ann Veneman, Re: Section 771 of Onmibus Appropriations Bill.
June 5, 2000 — to USDA, Keith Jones, NOP, Re: National Organic Standards, Docket # TMD-00-02-PR.
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Nutrition
July 19, 2007 — to the King County Board of Health. Testimony before the King County Board of Health, supporting a ban against artificial trans fat in restaurant food and to require nutritional information on restaurant food.
March 23, 2006 — to the U.S. Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, urging suport for a $5 million appropriation to implement “Access to Local Foods and School Gardens,” Section 122 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act.
June 21, 2005 — to Washington's two U.S. Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Re: support for Farm to Cafeteria funding, Conservation Security Program funding, and Country of Origin Labeling.
May 18, 2004 — Thank you to Rep. Jim McDermott for signing on as a co-sponsor of HR 2987, to amend the National School Lunch Act to improve the quality of school food choices.
March 3, 2004 — to all U.S. Congressional representatives from Washington State to improve the nutritional quality of foods sold out of vending machines, cafeterias, fund-raisers and other venues at schools.
March 12, 2003 — Thank you to Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Re: support of good efforts to improve school food choices.
December 19, 2002 — to USDA, Livestock & Seed Programs, Re: Irradiated meat in National School Lunch program.
April 6, 2001 — Thank you to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman, Re: Support of food safety and consumer choice in school lunch program.
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Organics
May 12, 2006 — to Mark Bradley, National Organic Program Administrator, Re: comment on how USDA should address access to pasture and replacement animals in the organic program.
April 14, 2006 — to Kevin R. O’Rell, Chairman, National Organic Standards Board, USDA, Re: pasture access for organic livestock. To support strong additional language consistent with current law and regulations that require livestock to be managed promoting their natural instinctive behavior, and in the case of ruminants, requiring pasture as a meaningful part of their feed.
October 28, 2005 — to Secretary Mike Johanns, USDA, Re: supporting an appeal to the USDA Secretary to allow the NOSB to clarify "access to pasture" for dairy cows.
June 26, 2005 — Thank you to Representative Kelli Linville, Re: support for the BIOAg Program at WSU, and for strong leadership in the 2005 legislative session to secure funds for the program.
July 22, 2003 — Thank you to Senator Patty Murray, Re: supporting the organic crop
research and education program at WSU.
March 11, 2003 — Thank you to Rep. George Nethercutt, Re: efforts to secure funding for the Organic and Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture (BiOAg) program at WSU.
March 11, 2003 — Thank you to Senator Patty Murray, Re: efforts to secure funding for the Organic and Biologically Intensive Agriculture (BiOAg) program at WSU.
March 11, 2003 — Thank you to Rep. Rick Larsen, Re: efforts to secure funding for the Organic and Biologically Intensive Agriculture (BiOAg) program at WSU.
February 28, 2002 — to Rep. Brian Baird, Re: WSU's Organic Cropping Research and Education for the Northwest program.
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Pesticides
September 1, 2007 — letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urging it not to re-register toxic fumigant pesticides posing serious health risks to farmworkers.
March 20, 2007 — sign on to letter urging Washington's Governor, state representatives and senators to monitor air quality where agricultural pesticides are used and to encourage our agricultural land grant, Washington State University, to support safer alternatives to the most hazardous pesticides.
January 31, 2005 — to WSDA, Endangered Species Program, Re: Process for Evaluating Pesticides in Washington State Surface Waters for Potential Impacts to Salmonids.
May 29, 2001 — to WA State Dept. of Agriculture, Bridget Moran, Re: WA State Pesticides/ESA Task Force's Draft Process for Evaluating Pesticides in Washington State Surface Waters for Potential Impacts to Salmonids.
July 14, 2000 — to EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, Re: Docket OPP-34225, urging EPA to cancel all uses of diazinon.
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Seafood, Oceans and Water
June 9, 2005 — to legislators, Re: request that proposed legislation regarding fish farming in ocean waters is preceded by a legislative environmental impact statement (LEIS).
May 24, 2005 — PCC joined The Ocean Conservancy and more than 30 other organizations to submit this letter to the Chair and ranking members of the U.S. House and Senate committees and subcommittees to "Protect ocean health and ensure responsible governance," by withholding support of NOAA's Offshore Aquaculture Bill (PDF).
January 31, 2005 — to WSDA, Endangered Species Program, Re: Process for Evaluating Pesticides in Washington State Surface Waters for Potential Impacts to Salmonids.
May 21, 2004 — to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mike Leavitt, and to Assistant U.S. Attorney General, Thomas Sansonetti, Re: urging support for the EPA's Region 10 decision to hold the mining company Teck Cominco liable under U.S. superfund laws for polluting the Columbia River.
July 1, 2004 — to Washington Congressional Representatives Inslee, McDermott, Dicks, Dunn and Baird Re: upholding NEPA in NOAA's proposal for offshore aquaculture legislation.
August 26, 2004 — to Stewardship Partners Re: a letter provided to the Stewardship Partners to help them promote their Salmon Safe program.
April 20, 2004 — to Governor Locke urging consideration of the Pew Oceans Commission recommendations when he prepares comments to the U.S. Commission on Oceans Policy. Sign-on letter sponsored by Seattle Chefs.
June 17, 2002 — PCC Natural Markets joins the Snake River Campaign, a national effort to save money and save fish by partly removing the four Lower Snake River dams. View the endorsement list of more than 2,500 groups and prominent individuals calling for a new national consciousness about restoring rivers, and investing public funds responsibly. Get involved or learn more about the Snake River dams.
May 29, 2001 — to WA State Dept. of Agriculture, Bridget Moran, Re: WA State Pesticides/ESA Task Force's Draft Process for Evaluating Pesticides in Washington State Surface Waters for Potential Impacts to Salmonids.
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