Maine Potato Board
opts to oppose proposed legislative bills
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — At last Wednesday’s Maine Potato Board meeting, directors voted to oppose a few proposed legislative bills that will soon be discussed in the Legislature.
LD 991, “An Act to Amend Maine’s Genetically Modified Food Products Labeling Law,” is sponsored by Rep. Michelle Dunphy (D-Old Town).
Maine’s original genetically modified food products labeling law included a delay of the effective date of the law until mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food is adopted by at least five contiguous states including Maine. The law also included an automatic repeal if mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food is not adopted by at least five contiguous states including Maine by Jan. 1, 2018. This bill repeals both the delayed effective date and automatic repeal provisions, thereby making the law effective.
“LD 991 would do away with the requirements and make it effective immediately for Maine which would mean Heinz or General Mills or anybody selling product in Maine that had a genetically modified product in it, whether it be corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, etc., would have to be labeled to be sold in Maine,” said Don Flannery, executive director of the MPB.
“Our position on the first bill, and what I would like our position to be here, is that people have the right to know — you can’t dispute that — but it needs to be done on a national level,” he said. “You cannot do it state by state because I don’t think Heinz or anybody else is going to be the least bit willing to put special ketchup bottles through their plant to label it for Maine. I think it’s a bad policy for each state to have a labeling law.”
The board also voted to oppose LD 1099, “An Act to Establish a Fund for the Operations and Outreach Activities of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Animal and Plant Disease and Insect Control Laboratory.” The proposed legislation is sponsored by Rep. Russell Black (R-Wilton).
“Last year the University did a bond issue to build a new animal and plant diagnostic lab in Orono. That project is underway and they’re going to break ground this summer,” said Flannery, “but this piece of legislation would put a 20-cent fee on every container of consumer packaged pesticides. In other words, if you go into Walmart and buy Raid or Off or something like that, there’s going to be a 20-cent fee on that product, and the funds would be used to support the new lab they’re building.
“It seems to me that that’s something that should have been well thought out when they were looking for the money to build the lab … how are they going to fund the lab?” he said. “It’s your call.”
After additional discussion, the MPB voted to oppose the bill as written.
Also at the April meeting, directors:
• Heard from Cheryl Pelletier of the local USDA-Rural Development office who discussed the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP offers grants, loan guarantees, or a combination of the two, to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements in rural areas.
• Were provided an update from Ken Gustin of the Farm Service Agency who talked about the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, and the Nonrecourse Marketing Assistance Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments.
The next regular Maine Potato Board meeting will be Wednesday, June 17 at 3 p.m. in the conference room.
