The Sunshine Project
Press Release
12 May 2000

Another Agent Green: Poppy Killing Viruses Investigated by USA
Government Misses Legal Deadline to Release Information

Research by the United States Government on microbes designed to kill narcotic crops extends to pathogenic plant viruses. A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) team, headed by a plant pathologist at a Fort Detrick, Maryland facility, is experimenting with potyviruses to kill the narcotic crop opium poppy.

This work is in addition to other experiments conducted by USDA with fungal pathogens intended to kill illicit coca, poppy, and cannabis crops in the developing world. The pathogens have been dubbed "Agent Green" by the Sunshine Project in reference to the USA's use of defoliants in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 70s. (Please see The Sunshine Project's press release of 2 May at www.sunshine-project.org.)

The Sunshine Project learned of the virus work last month. While analyzing USDA's scientific publications on Agent Green fungi, Project biologist Dr. Jan Van Aken discovered a description of the virus experiments on a US Army website. Within 24 hours, on April 13th, the Project's US office filed for release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The legal deadline for response passed yesterday (11 May) without any reply. Previous responses from same office, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), met legal deadlines.

"We do not know if this is the result of an overworked staff or due to other concerns," says Edward Hammond of the Sunshine Project, "It certainly works to the USA's advantage to not release any information prior to Monday's start of the important meeting of the United Nations Biodiversity Convention in Nairobi."

In Nairobi, the Sunshine Project's Susana Pimiento, a Colombian attorney, said "The Project had hoped to present important details about the virus experiments to the 130 or more governments coming to Nairobi. We have plenty to tell delegates already; but it is very disappointing that the US has not responded to our request in accordance with its own laws. This lack of transparency underscores the need for international action."

The Sunshine Project is very disconcerted to note unexplained changes in the US Army website since its Freedom of Information request was filed. The Project's archive of the web page, dated 12 April, includes a description of the potyvirus work conducted by a USDA research team headed by Dr. Vernon Damsteegt. The web address, however, has been subsequently (after April 12) edited to delete reference to the poppy-killing research and altered to incorrectly read "Last update April 6 2000".

The critical questions asked by the Sunshine Project in its FOIA request remain unanswered. One of the most important has to do with the history of a poppy-killing potyvirus strain called D-437.

Now a research lab shared by USDA, the US Army, and the US National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick was a US military center for offensive biological warfare research before President Richard Nixon stopped the US program in 1969. According to USDA, before being recently thawed out, D-437 had been frozen in storage at Fort Detrick since that same year. Prior to 1969 Dr. Damsteegt worked at Fort Detrick on plant diseases for the US Army's Biolab. He has since worked for USDA on controlling the spread of foreign plant diseases in the US.

"The Sunshine Project was very disturbed at what appeared to be a possible connection between biological warfare research of the 1960s and the USDA's program to develop narcotic crop pathogens in 2000." says Edward Hammond, "We thought it must be some incredible coincidence. We are increasingly perplexed at why USDA has not rushed to clear up such potentially damaging confusion."

According to The Sunshine Project's Susana Pimiento: "Because of the USDA's failure to respond, it is premature to ask the Conference of the Parties in Nairobi to act on USDA's virus program; but there is more than enough evidence of dangers to biodiversity, traditional use, and human health for the Parties to be able to condemn the Agent Green work on crop-killing fungi."

Van Aken adds, "The Project will vigorously follow up on the virus research and report on our work as soon as possible."