Threat:Unregulated Transport of Genetic Material

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> 'OUTBREAK!'  GREENPEACE EXPOSES THREATS OF UNREGULATED

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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> 'OUTBREAK!'  GREENPEACE EXPOSES THREATS OF UNREGULATED
TRANSPORT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MATERIALS

WASHINGTON, May 3, 1995 (GP) The accidental release of infectious
materials may only be the subject of a major motion picture now,
but a startling Greenpeace investigation published today reveals
that such a situation may not be so far from reality.

The investigation shows that it is alarmingly simple to ship
hazardous genetically engineered materials to anyone, anywhere in
the world, no questions asked.

The report details the mailing of ostensibly dangerous biological
materials from two locations to nine different countries in
Europe, Latin American, the US, Africa and the Far East.  The
packages actually contained a harmless mixture of bakers yeast in
water, but carried labels such as "Health Risk Due to Genetically
Modified Material" and "Biohazard."

The results of the mailing:

*  The US, Russian, German and Swiss postal services
unquestioningly delivered packages labeled "Biohazard" or
"Genetically Modified Materials" to private addresses;

*  Three packages were leaking when they arrived in Germany,
Switzerland and Brazil.  This prompted no action or apparent
concern from postal services in any of those countries;

*  Two packages disappeared in the mail and haven't been seen
since.

While various regulations exist to control the mailing of disease
causing organisms, this investigation shows that they are not
enforced.  Other organisms, such as bacteria engineered to
produce drugs, are not regulated at all.

"Strict international regulations are urgently needed to control
and monitor the  transport of biohazardous materials, and postal
services must be alerted to the risks," said Connie Murtagh of
Greenpeace's Toxic Trade campaign.  "There's no telling what
effect these materials could have on humans and the environment
if they leaked out, and some of these organisms could even be
used to make biological weapons."

Greenpeace is calling for an international protocol covering the
development and transfer of genetically modified organisms to be
established under the Biodiversity Convention.  Until such a
protocol is in place, an immediate moratorium should be placed on
the development, transport and release of GMOs.


ENDS

CONTACT: Connie Murtagh, Greenpeace US  202-319-2498
         Stefan Weber, Greenpeace US  202-319-2583
         Isabelle Meister, Greenpeace Switzerland
         011 41 1 29 59 432