04/29/05 Fight fire together; You can sue

The four Northwest Governors hope their recent meeting in Spokane will help create a united front to help their respective states, and the region, battle this year's expected concerns of drought and wildfires. Governors from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana used the meeting to share information to help coordinate efforts. All leaders agree such coordination is needed as federal emergency funding for firefighting decreased by over $300 million dollars this year, and there will be less firefighting personnel in the form of National Guard members who are currently stationed in the Middle East. So how might a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the pesticide industry affect similar litigation involving labeling of chemicals? That is what the industry is trying to determine after the High Court reinstated a lawsuit by Texas peanut farmers against Dow Chemical Company claiming their "Strongarm" herbicide damaged crops and was unsafe. In its decision, the Supreme Court justices ruled the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act does not prevent companies from many traditional state lawsuits. There are similar cases also under appeal before the Supreme Court, and legal analysts say this ruling could affect the outcome of those cases. As for farm chemical industry reaction to the ruling, Crop Life America said while disappointed that a specific portion of F.I.F.R.A. was modified, they were pleased that the consistency of federal pesticide labeling requirements were upheld by the ruling. U.S. Senator Larry Craig's bill to clarify U.S. trade rules with Cuba and allow more ag trade with the island nation will get a shot of support. The newly formed U.S. Cuba Trade Association, made up of thirty companies, state agencies and organizations representing nineteen states, announced it will support the measure co-authored by the Idaho Senator. The Association's first meeting was held this week and featured Cuba's top export buyer, Alimport Chairman Pedro Alvarez. Congress may be considering the Central American Free Trade Agreement, but the Bush Administration is working hard to get another F.T.A. in place. This is the Andean Free Trade Agreement, and the ninth round of negotiations between member nations since May of last year wrapped up last week in Peru. And while progress has been made in various aspects of the deal, several ag components of the A.F.T.A. are still under negotiation. The next round of talks is set for June in Quito Ecuador.