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Report: Violations of Federal Laws Skyrocketing as USDA Refuses to Act; Agency Complicit in Lab Scandal Says Watchdog Group FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, DC � The United States Department of Agriculture under the
Bush Administration is refusing to enforce federal laws governing
biomedical research leading to an increasing number of violations and a
growing scandal, charged a national research watchdog organization. An NGO White Paper released today reveals that the Animal Welfare Act
was violated by 3160 times by laboratories in 2006, while the USDA is
complicit in the law breaking by refusing to take meaningful enforcement
actions. "As violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) by research facilities
have increased to a record level of 3160 offenses for one year, USDA
enforcement of the AWA has been utterly ineffective," said Michael A.
Budkie, A.H.T., Executive Director of Cincinnati-based SAEN. �The worst
laboratories continue to violate federal laws with impunity.� Statistics within recently-obtained government documents reveal that
violations of the AWA by laboratories have increased 90.5% within the last
five years, reaching an all-time high. Major areas of offenses include veterinary care and institutional
animal care & use committees. More than � of all labs violate the law every year, and the Animal
Welfare Act is violated almost 9 times per day by research facilities. �Major laboratories thumb their noses at the USDA every day,� added
Budkie. �So it is time for the private sector to do what the USDA can�t.�
SAEN is announcing a program of independent audits of laboratories
based on public records and voluntary inspections. �We have already
obtained thousands of pages of documentation from major laboratories
across the U.S.,� said Budkie. Our findings will begin to be released in
coming months.� The NGO SAEN has also requested government reports for all 1100
registered research facilities as well as all class B animal dealers from
the USDA with the intention of publicizing the conditions which the USDA
refuses to correct. The SAEN white paper is available upon request. -30- See: National Trends in
Animal Welfare Act Violations by Laboratories
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