SUNS | March 26, 1999
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Geneva, 26 Mar (Chakravarthi Raghavan) -- A bio-prospecting deal between the US National Park Service and a private corporation, Diversa Corporation, enabling Diversa to "harvest", patent and commercialise micro-organisms and other resources of thermal sprints in Yellowstone National Park has been "suspended" by a court order in Washington DC.
Acting on a petition from four public interest nongovernment groups, the US Federal District Court in the district of Colombia issued the order, suspending implementation of the agreement between National Park Service (NPS) and Diversa, and asked the US department of Interior to prepare an environmental assessment in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Policy Act.
According to a press release and communication from Beth Burrows of the Edmonds Institute, one of the plaintiff NGOs that filed the suit in March 1997, the court accepted the right of the NGOs to challenge the deal and ruled further that they could seek a further judgement on whether the Department of Interior (DOI) ever had the legal authority to enter into cooperative research and development deals (CRADASs), such as the one attempted with Diversa.SUNS:
