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GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluations

Spring 2002 GM Oilseed Rape and Beet Farm Scale Evaluations - Individual Site Assessments

Objective

Aventis CropScience Ltd and Monsanto plc each hold licences (Deliberate Release consents) to carry out releases of a particular line of genetically modified crop (oilseed rape, sugar beet or fodder beet) in the farmscale evaluation programme in England. Supplied in the original consent applications were Aventis's or Monsanto's generic risk assessments and these were considered by a body of independent expert scientists - the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), before permission was granted for these programmes of work to proceed in England.

Aventis and Monsanto's applications and risk assessments are such that the releases may only take place in areas where conventional oilseed rape or beet would be grown normally. The consent holders notified the Department of proposed locations for these releases indicating that the original risk assessment was applicable to these sites.

Officials from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have carried out a statutory risk assessment of each of the proposed sites to verify and check that there are no local factors which alter the risk assessment.

Factors such as location and size of the site, the description of the site ecosystem and in particular whether the trial is situated in an area where that crop is normally grown, were considered together with the proximity of each site to sites of special scientific interest (SSSI's). These assessments can be found in the pages that follow [See note and end of this document].

Site assessments

Most of these assessments can be done within Defra using databases and detailed environmental mapping systems. A Global Information System (GIS) database was used to check the grid reference against each site. In all cases there was satisfactory correspondence. Also checked was the name of the civil parish in which the release was to take place. The proposed acreage of planting was checked to ensure it corresponded to that permitted under the terms of the consent.

Proximity of SSSI's in relation to each release site were checked by English Nature (the statutory conservation body in England). Two locations were identified where a SSSI or part of a SSSI was located within 1 km of an oilseed rape release site (Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire and Alderminster, Warwickshire). English Nature has indicated that they are satisfied that these release sites do not pose a risk to the SSSIs in question. No locations for beet sites were within 1 km of an SSSI although two sites (Rottington, Cumbria and Burnham Market, Norfolk) where distant SSSIs may contain native sea beet (Beta maritima) were identified. English Nature has indicated that they are satisfied that these release sites do not pose a risk to the SSSIs in question.

The Health and Safety Executive is content that none of the releases pose a risk to human health.

Each assessment is accompanied by a description of the site ecosystem. This was determined by calculating the density (ha/sq.km) of different land cover types within 5km of each release site using the 1 km square version of the 1990 Land Cover Map. Where figures for the tilled land and managed grassland were low (below 20 ha/sq.km) using this approach officials visited these sites (Meden Vale, Nottingham), to take a closer look to check that the selected fields were in an arable ecosystem and that there was a history of oilseed rape or beet cultivation in the area (and was compliant with the risk assessment). Other locations were also visited but these were selected at random and not because the studies suggested a closer look (Frampton End, South Gloucestershire and Tincleton, Dorset are examples). During site visits, a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) was used to verify the location of the field in relation to the field grid reference supplied by the consent holder.

Conclusions

All sites were found to be compliant with the information submitted by Aventis CropScience Ltd or Monsanto plc and the overall risk assessments as detailed in consents 00/R33/9, 99/R22/16 and 99/R22/17.

FARM SCALE EVALUATIONS - Spring 2002

Note: remaining sections of this document have been made available in Adobe Acrobat format for downloading:

(The assessment reports have been split into three documents, one for each consent. Page numbers, referring to pages in the Acrobat document, can be found at the end of this section and also in the table at the beginning of each Acrobat document.)

Sugar Beet

Page

6 Figure Grid Reference

Nearest Settlement

Parish

County/Authority

2

TF 940 087

Bradenham

Bradenham

Norfolk

3

TF 845 398

Burnham Market

Burnham Thorpe

Norfolk

4

TF 947 093

Daffy Green

Bradenham

Norfolk

5

TF 893 262

East Raynham

Raynham

Norfolk

6

TF 848 254

West Raynham

Helhoughton

Norfolk

7

TF 930 050

Saham Hills

Saham Toney

Norfolk

8

TL 314 904

Benwick

Ramsey

Cambridgeshire

9

SO 855 767

Comberton, Kidderminster

Stone

Worcestershire

10

TL 815 665

Risby

Risby

Suffolk

11

TF 097 445

Kirby la Thorpe

Kirkby la Thorpe with the Hoplands

Lincolnshire

12

TF 270 780

Scamblesby

Scamblesby & Cawkwell

Lincolnshire

13

SK 962 446

Sudbrook

Ancaster

Lincolnshire

Fodder Beet

Page

6 Figure Grid Reference

Nearest Settlement

Parish

County/Authority

2

NX 964 137

Rottington

St Bees

Cumbria

3

TF 218 889

Ludford

Ludford, East Wykeham & Ludford Magna

Lincolnshire

4

SO 852 224

Twigworth

Down Hatherley

Gloucestershire

5

SO 710 177

Blaisdon

Blaisdon

Gloucestershire

6

SE 639 843

Beadlam

Beadlam

North Yorkshire

7

ST 675 823

Frampton End

Westerleigh

South Gloucestershire

Oil Seed Rape

Page Number 6 Figure Grid Reference Nearest Settlement Parish County/Authority
3 NZ 101 139 Whorlton Wycliffe with Thorpe Durham
4 NZ 205 365 Oakenshaw Oakenshaw Durham
5 NZ 372 510 Burdon Near Burdon village City of Sunderland
6 SE 773 240 Laxton/Hook Laxton East Riding of Yorkshire
7 SE 820 490 Kilnwick Percy Nunburnholme East Riding of Yorkshire
8 SJ 399 262 Bagley Hordley Shropshire
9 SJ 683 255 Hinstock Hinstock Shropshire
10 SK 600 712 Meden Vale Warsop Nottinghamshire
11 SK 753 130 Great Dalby Burton and Dalby Leicestershire
12 SP 068 369 Laverton Buckland Gloucestershire
13 SP 155 401 Chipping Campden Chipping Campden Gloucestershire
14 SP 237 484 Alderminster Alderminster Warwickshire
15 SY 663 861 Upwey Bincombe Dorset
16 SY 773 928 Tincleton* Tincleton Dorset
17 TA 065 596 Nafferton Nafferton East Riding of Yorkshire
18 TA 221 373 Aldbrough Aldbrough East Riding of Yorkshire
19 TA 013 009 North Kelsey North Kelsey Lincolnshire
20 TF 216 976 Thorganby Thorganby Lincolnshire
21 TF 221 888 Ludford Ludford, East Wykeham & Ludford Magna Lincolnshire
22 TF 944 250 Horningtoft Colkirk Norfolk
23 TM 102 875 Winfarthing Winfarthing Norfolk
24 TL 053 100 Piccott's End Great Gaddesden Hertfordshire
25 ST 788 028 Hilton** Hilton Dorset

* This site has been withdrawn

** This is an additional site which was notified after the initial sites.

Page published 27 March 2002;
Page last modified 10 August, 2002

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs