About a year ago, I found a link to a SuperWeed 1.0. I contacted them once to see what they’d reply with and I never heard anything back. I soon forgot about it.
On November 27, 2006, an envelope from the UK showed up. There was no return address. All it contained was a package containing some seeds and a piece of paper indicating that it was “SuperWeed 1.0″ and a blurb about it. It took me awhile to remember what this was about. I figured it was a joke and that I wasn’t actually possessing a “genetic weapon” and posted it on my website. I never did anything with the seeds.
On December 22, 2006, I got a call from a special agent with the USDA after he showed up at my house and talked with roommate Allen. I agreed to meet with him in my front porch. He arrived with an FBI agent specializing in bioterrorism and another guy from the USDA. I didn’t know what it was about until they showed me a printout of the SuperWeed 1.0 post from my site. I guess it wasn’t a joke. I fully complied with them, answered a ton of questions and volunteered the SuperWeed 1.0 package which they took and photographed.
On February 28, 2007, a new investigator with the USDA called me at work and asked to meet with me. In a half hour, her and that other guy from the USDA I met previously showed up at my office. I was told that the FBI investigation was over and at this point the USDA was investigating my situation.
Today I picked up a letter sent certified mail stating that I am asked to pay a civil penalty of $250 to settle the matter. The settlement agreement points to 7 CFR §319.37(a) and 7 CFR §351.3.
If I pay the penalty I neither admit nor deny the violations and I waive my right to a hearing. If I do not pay the penalty, a complaint will be issued charging me with the violations and seeking higher penalties.
It’s like, “we could to try to screw you over for this, but if you pay 250 bucks we’ll call it a deal.”
Moral of the story: It’s not always smart to contact people on the internet that are suspicious and if you get a strange package in the mail, report it. (Especially if you blog about it!)
If you’re curious, they tested the seeds and they were identified as: Brassica napus, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Raphanus rahanistrum, Galium sp., and Chenopodium sp.
Comments 13
That’s amazing.
Posted 05 May 2007 at 10:14 ¶A quick pass throught wikipedia indicates that none of the ingrediants are anything to get in a hubub about.
Very strange.
Posted 05 May 2007 at 10:53 ¶This would’ve made the most spectacular “Run-in with the police” ever. Sorry about the government extortion.
Posted 05 May 2007 at 12:57 ¶I would totally take them to court over this. While the expert witnesses I know would probably not want to fly out there from here voluntarily, I’m pretty sure if you went to that state university of yours you could round some up (heh). B. napus is weedy but not invasive in your area, so wtf.
Posted 05 May 2007 at 22:10 ¶Actually now that I think about it, $250 sounds a lot like the fee for testing the seeds. So basically they’re charging you for their trouble. If it were something more serious, they would have done something worse.
Posted 05 May 2007 at 22:16 ¶Ok after reading the CFRs, it does look like that’s what they’re going to go after you for.
What I would be interested in is to see what would have happened had you quarantined the kit at the usda inspection facility according to the CFRs? Would have been denied importation or not?
Posted 05 May 2007 at 22:21 ¶Ah. It is always so comforting to read about our ever increasing in size Federal government managing tax dollars wisely in one of its many frivilious actions against purportedly free citizens. Your a lucky man actually. When any private citizen is confronted by the broad investigatory powers afforded executive agencies of the Federal government, and these massive agencies agree to simply leave your life for a mere $250.00, jump for joy. You could have become financially ruined in a civil matter with the USDA. This is the essence of Big Government and this is exactly what the American people want: Larger government for the sake of more government. This is the new Amerika. In the post cold-war Amerika keeping your head down and your mouth shut is a must. They are watching. Shhhhh.
Posted 07 May 2007 at 13:32 ¶I disagree with XXX. There needs to be balance. We don’t have the right to ruin someone’s crops so I support the USDA’s action. I think it’s fair and measured response to the circumstances.
Posted 07 May 2007 at 16:03 ¶Wow. Um, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to associate with you anymore.
Posted 08 May 2007 at 14:16 ¶Maaaan, what a situation! Well, your international spy skills are obviously waaay off. You never never ever blog about it.
Posted 08 May 2007 at 17:21 ¶Ang- Heh. Did they end up calling you for your comment involving the president?
Thumper- Yeah, I think it’s actually all pretty harmless.
Britt- By the time I went around to posting it a few months ago the task was retired… and no need to apologize!
Cowbert, Mr. XXX, Andy- The alarms went off when I posted that I was in possession of a genetic weapon. (I’d like to know who tipped them off, actually!) When all is said and done, they feel that the only thing that I did wrong was the reception of seeds in the mail from a foreign country without proper customs forms and not reporting it when I should have. That is illegal. With this scenario, I have not pleaded guilty to this charge, will not plead guilty and by paying this settlement I do not admit guilt. While I may agree in many, many ways that the government could be spending their dollars differently, I understand why my blog post, which included a link to the theoretical source of the seeds, could have caused alarm.
Hedy Dee- As far as everyone else is concerned, we don’t in the first place.
laespiat- I don’t blog about it, actually.
Posted 09 May 2007 at 06:28 ¶This is the earliest citation of “superweed”.
Genetically engineered micro-organisms (GEMs), designed to prevent frost forming on strawberry or potato plants, are being tested in California, under the auspices of the US Environmental Protection Agency, which wants to be sure that any bacteria or fungi with altered genetic characteristics do not harm insects animals, crosp or humans. Another fear is that such organisms might help plants to evolve into ’super weeds’, which could become immune to eradication techniques.
—Andrew Wiseman, “Spectrum,” The Times (London), October 15, 1987
On October 15, 1987 I was turning 10 years old. I got a Hot Rockin’ Derek Doll to go with my Barbie and the Rockers.
Posted 10 May 2007 at 12:33 ¶Is this what you do in your spare time? Besides taking JBL speakers.
Posted 30 May 2007 at 20:52 ¶Post a Comment