The U.S. Department of agriculture has an order to instruct their inspectors in Texas, where test Federal mad cow disease policies recently wounded to the cattle disease with external parties, talk, United Press International learned issued.
The order by E-mail from the USDA Dallas District Office, 6.Was broadcast may during the April 27 at Lone Star beef in San Angelo, issued in the a cow, display signs of a disease of the brain for BSE disease despite a federal policy all animals tested the screen.
The deadly disease also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The USDA and its Generalinspekteur--amid allegations that an offsite supervisor overruled the opinion of the inspectors on the ground and the final decision does not have, the animal-test studies to determine who why agency violate policy was opened.
The order that was obtained by UPI, published Ijaz Qazi, circuit supervisor for the USDA's food safety and inspection service's Dallas district includes the whole Staat.Es reads: "all BSE cases have public relations phone 202-720-9113 Congressional attention Rob Larew or Steve Khon policy.This is a urgent Nachricht.Jede question contact mich.Ijaz Qazi."
Although the language may seem harmless, experienced inspectors familiar with USDA language referring to the announcement as one taken, "gag order."
National joint Council of food inspection lokal-- national inspectors Gewerkschaft--keeps the order of an infringement speech inspectors and is considering legal action against the USDA have for violations of the labor agreement with the Agency.
Alleged that hits order the Agency is concerned inspectors, your staff, leaking harmful information on the Texas case or the USDA total überwachungprogramm mad cow disease that last year has come an infected cow since the discovery in the State of Washington in December under attack.
"At any time the Government an individual freedom of speech, suppress that is unconstitutional," said Gary Dahl, President of the local 925 Colorado inspectors Union that UPI.
Stanley painter, Chairman of the national joint Council, the USDA said sent messages in the past indication has can talk inspectors to reporters.
"It is one thing, the intimidation," said painter UPI.Inspectors shall have the right to speak as long as you understand about any subject with someone speak on behalf of the USDA and do it on Government time, he said.
USDA spokesman Steven Cohen said he was not familiar with the note from the Dallas Büro.Er said, he would look into it but reagiert.Im of General Cohen of UPI's publishing time has said "It's an expectation, the Declaration on behalf of the Agency from the Office of communication (in Washington.""would come"
Wondering if staff could speak freely as long as you made it clear that your views not those of the Agency, Cohen, said reflected, "we had more informed policy this agency are in a position to speak for the Agency."
Qazi said UPI notice in connection with the Texas case issued and it routine was practice that outside requests to the Bureau in Washington referenced werden.Er said inspectors are free to talk to third parties, including reporters, Agency and he kept the E-mail a breach of the labor agreement with the inspectors.
Painter said the USDA's efforts to his staff of mad cow disease talk to keep would better be spent, "issues such as protection of the consuming public rather than try to hide things."He added he would "just about his last nickel bet" agency management attempted to suppress information about the Texas case.
"Keep co-sponsored from reporting waste, abuse of the Central Government-this type of Dingen--which is not a good thing," Dahl said."If there is something wrong, let's get it out in the offenen-- let's get fixed."We work to the public, the American Verbraucher.Ich think you have the right to know ", he said."
"And believe me, there are so many indicators that tell USDA mad cow disease test program is broken" Dahl added.
At least one member of Congress, Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, agrees.
Harkin, represents "A long-time critic of the USDA, sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman on Monday, the Texas incident say into question the effectiveness and reliability the USDA of current and proposed monitoring system."
The USDA has proposed testing of more than 200,000 of doer or 10 times its current rate-in advanced program 1 beginnen.Harkin to June five page wrote the write, however, that it taking into account the realities of the cattle industry, "very doubtful" is the USDA able to test, be that many cows, especially because it had difficulty finding 20,000 last year.
"We simply cannot tolerate a BSE-test system that fails, to give valid answers to important questions for US consumers and foreign customers," said Harkin of the letter sharply criticized failure be implemented the Agency to explicitly resolve how his new überwachungprogramm.
"" We are happy to check letter and the possibility of receiving (Harkin's) and to respond,"said USDA spokesman Ed Loyd UPI.""USDA there was an error in not the cow in Texas for BSE test so that we all work to ensure that recurs not recognized."
Jim Rogers, a spokesman for USDA's animal and plant health inspection service überwachungprogramm monitoring agency mad cow disease, UPI said the Agency about 15,500 animals tested since the financial year 2004, 2003 has begann.Allerdings on October the Agency refused to identify the States and the institutions that the cows said stammt.Rogers on UPI had to find this information through the freedom of information act.
The question is central to the USDA implementation of advanced überwachungprogramm.Downer doer-those who unable to stand or to note-most of the animals is the Agency in previous years for BSE tested, but these were for the human consumption in December is slaughtered verboten.Dies means Agency inspectors can no longer receive brain samples from these cows in slaughterhouses in the past could.
In addition it has with the USDA no evidence provided agreements rendering facilities or rancher worked, where Downers and deaths are now most likely to find cows to get the additional animals to test.
Loyd said the Agency "works very hard for animals on the farm that would never appear in a processing facility", and he was "unaware problems" that would delay the introduction of the new programme.
However, could he not give names or he would look into it but not back two follow up phone calls from UPI before publishing locations who said the rendering facilities where the Agency will get cow of brains for BSE tests, wird.Er.
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