A major overhaul of USDA's biotechnology regulatory structure could fall victim to the Bush administration's end-of-term deadline for new initiatives. The proposed rule, which is written and awaiting approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is based on a draft programmatic Environmental Impact Statement published a year ago. It is expected to lay out changes covering importation, interstate movement and environmental release of bioengineered plants and other organisms, likely giving USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service more flexibility in dealing with emerging technologies, such as biopharming, and creating a multi-tiered permit system based on risk.
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