Genetic Engineering Lawsuits Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed two lawsuits by activist Jeremy Rifkin challenging the government’s regulation of genetic engineering, a lawyer for Rifkin and a trade group said Tuesday.

Judge Gerhard A. Gesell ruled that Rifkin had no legal right to sue at this point, said Andrew Kimball, one of Rifkin’s lawyers, and Dick Godown, president of the Industrial Bio-Technology Assn.

Rifkin had sought to overturn interagency definitions and regulations offered by a committee convened by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

He sought also reconsideration of the rejection by the Environmental Protection Agency of his petition that the EPA require a showing of financial responsibility by anyone seeking agency permission for field experiments with genetically engineered pesticides.