Case Law Index
Biosecurity

January 1, 2002 - August 1, 2008

This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving Biosecurity that were decided on or after January 1, 2002. For those cases that have been summarized by the National Agricultural Law Center, a link is provided to the summary. The index will be regularly updated to reflect new judicial developments. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order.



UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT


AG-Innovations, Inc. v. U.S., 2008 WL 2267172 (Fed. Cl. 2008) (sheep infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy)

Page v. U.S., 50 Fed. Appx. 409 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (ostrich quarantine stations)



COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA


Hawai"i Orchid Growers Ass'n v. Johanns, 249 Fed. Appx. 204 (D.C. Cir. 2007) (approval of orchids)

American Fed'n of Gov't Employees, AFL-CIO v. Veneman, 284 F.3d 125 (D.C. Cir. 2002) (modified system of meat inspection)



UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS


AG-Innovations, Inc. v. U.S., 82 Fed.Cl. 69 (Fed. Cl. 2008) (takings suit for sheep with scrapies)

American Airlines, Inc. v. U.S., 77 Fed. Cl. 672 (Fed. Cl. 2007) (uncollected user fees for Agricultural Quarantine Inspection fee)

Continental Airlines, Inc. v. U.S., 77 Fed. Cl. 482 (Fed. Cl. 2007) (uncollected user fees for Agricultural Quarantine Inspection fee)

Rose Acre Farms, Inc. v. U.S., 2007 WL 5177409 (Fed. Cl. 2007) (taking of allegedly salmonella-infested eggs)



FIRST CIRCUIT


United States v. Donahoe, 380 F. Supp.2d 1 (D. ME 2005) (compelled disclosure of the importation of illegal biological materials)

U.S. Public Interest Research Group v. Atlantic Salmon of Maine, LLC., 257 F.Supp.2d 407 (D. Me. 2003) (environmental suit about waste in streams)



SECOND CIRCUIT


Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 2007 WL 1610420 (S.D. N.Y. 2007) (importation of wood containing pests)

AG-Innovations, Inc. v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 2006 WL 462580 (D. Vt. 2006) (sheep infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy)

AG-Innovations, Inv. v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 95 Fed. Appx. 384 (2nd Cir. 2004) (sheep infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy)

Baur v. Veneman, 352 F.3d 625 (2nd Cir. 2003) (suit to ban the slaughter of downer livestock)

U.S. v. Blue Ribbon Smoked Fish, Inc., 56 Fed. Appx. 542 (2nd Cir. 2003) (injunction against processing fish because of listeria)



THIRD CIRCUIT


Solae, Inc. v. Hershey Canada, Inc., --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2008 WL 2011914 (D. Del. 2008) (soy lecithin allegedly contaminated with Salmonella)

Moyer Packing Co. v. U.S., 2008 WL 2697330 (E.D. Pa. 2008) (claim against U.S. for faulty inspection of meat)

Travelers Indem. Co. v. Dammann & Co., Inc., 2008 WL 370914 (D. N.J. 2008) (vanilla beans contaminated with mercury)

Drayton v. Pilgrim's Pride Corp., 472 F.Supp.2d 638 (E.D. Pa. 2006) (suit over listeria found in poultry)

Reichley v. Penn. Dep't of Agric., 427 F.3d. 236 (3rd. Cir. 2005) (destroying diseased livestock)

Drayton v. Pilgrim's Pride Corp., 2004 WL 765123 (E.D. Pa. 2004) (suit over listeria found in poultry)

Tittensor v. County of Montgomery of Com. of Pennsylvania, 2003 WL 22358450 (E.D. Pa. 2003) (government liability of E. coli at a petting zoo)

Intercitrus, Ibertrade Commercial Corp. v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 2002 WL 1870467 (E.D. Pa. 2002) (suspending importation of Spanish clementines)



FOURTH CIRCUIT


Maryland And Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Ass'n, Inc. v. Crowell Farms, Inc., 102 Fed.Appx. 267 (4th Cir. 2004 (antibiotics contaminating raw milk)



FIFTH CIRCUIT


In re Supreme Beef Processors, Inc., 468 F.3d 248 (5th Cir. 2006) (HACCP standards that are unmet)



SIXTH CIRCUIT


Smith v. Harrison, 2008 WL 2713713 (E.D. Tenn. 2008) (alleged e. coli. contamination of meat)

Lacy v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 2008 WL 2178099 (6th Cir. 2008) (violation of the HPA because of West Nile Virus)

Dailey v. Veneman, 2002 WL 31780191 (6th Cir. 2002) (interstate commerce of state-inspected meat)



SEVENTH CIRCUIT


Campbell v. Supervalu, Inc., --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2008 WL 2622805 (N.D. Ind. 2008) (alleged contamination of ground beef)

Campbell v. Supervalu, 2007 WL 891682 (N.D. Ind. 2007) (civil suits for E. Coli are not pre-empted by the FMIA)

In re StarLink Corn Products Liability Litigation, 212 F.Supp.2d 828 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (unapproved GM corn in the food supply)

In re StarLink Corn Products Liability Litigation, 211 F.Supp.2d 1060 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (unapproved GM corn in the food supply)



EIGHTH CIRCUIT


Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2008 WL 2644966 (D. S.D. 2008) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)

Hutchen v. Wal-Mart Stores East I, LP, 2008 WL 1732938 (E.D. Mo. 2008) (E. Coli in spinach)

Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 2008 WL 413728 (D. S.D. 2008) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)

In re Genetically Modified Rice Litigation, 2007 WL 3027581 (E.D. Mo. 2007) (GM rice in the food chain)

Willman v. Riceland Foods, Inc., 2007 WL 2990422 (E.D. Ark. 2007) (GM rice in the food chain)

U.S. v. 8,800 Pounds of Powdered Egg White, 2007 WL 2955571 (E.D. Mo. 2007) (importation of eggs without a permit)

Barnes v. U.S., 448 F.3d 1065 (8th Cir. 2006) (negligent inspection of poultry plant)

Nebraska Beef, Ltd. v. Greening, 398 F.3d 1080 (8th Cir. 2005) (suit challenging a comprehensive new regulatory scheme for meat inspection)

Behrens v. United Vaccines, Inc., a div. of Harlan Sprague Dawley, Inc., 189 F.Supp.2d 945 (D. Minn. 2002) (canine vaccines and warranties)



NINTH CIRCUIT


Center For Food Safety v. Johanns, 2007 WL 3072860 (D. Haw. 2007) (approval of GMO crops without an environmental impact study)

Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 499 F.3d 1108 (9th Cir. 2007) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)

Geertson Farms Inc. v. Johanns, 2007 WL 1839894 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (motion to amend judgment in roundup ready alfalfa)

Geertson Farms Inc. v. Johanns, 2007 WL 1302981 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (motion to modify injunction in roundup ready alfalfa)

Geertson Farms Inc. v. Johanns, 2007 WL 776146 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (preliminary injunction order in roundup ready alfalfa)

Geertson Seed Farms v. Johanns, 2007 WL 518624 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (motion on summary judgment in roundup ready alfalfa)

Allflex USA, Inc. v. Avid Identification Systems, Inc., 2007 WL 2701331 (C.D. Cal. 2007) (RFID chips)

Geertson Farms, Inc. v. Johanns, 439 F.Supp.2d 1012 (N.D. Cal. 2006) (motion to dismiss in roundup ready alfalfa)

Cactus Corner, LLC. v. United States Dep't of Agric., 450 F.3d 428 (9th Cir. 2006) (APHIS and mandatory risk analysis)

Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America v. Johanns, 415 F.3d 1078 (9th Cir. 2005) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)

Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America v. Johanns, 143 Fed. Appx. 751 (9th Cir. 2005) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)

Spoklie v. Montana, 411 F.3d 1051 (9th Cir. 2005) (restrictions placed on alternative ranching operations)

California Avocado Com'n. v. Johanns, 2005 WL 1344203 (E.D. Cal. 2005) (lifting the quarantine on Mexican avocados)

Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 2004 WL 1047837 (D. Mont. 2004) (imports of Canadian beef and BSE)



TENTH CIRCUIT


Wyoming v. U.S., 279 F.3d 1214 (10th Cir. 2002) (vaccinating elk on National Elk Range)



ELEVENTH CIRCUIT


In re ConAgra Peanut Butter Products Liability Litigation, 2008 WL 2132233 (N.D. Ga. 2008) (Salmonella contamination of peanut butter)

IBP, Inc. v. Hady Enterprises, Inc., 267 F.Supp.2d 1148 (N.D. Fla. 2002) (importation of unauthorized meat)



DC CIRCUIT


International Center for Technology Assessment v. Johanns, 473 F. Supp. 2d 9 (D. D.C. 2007) (glyphosate-resistant creeping bentgrass)

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, L.L.C. v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 517 F.Supp.2d 8 (D. D.C. 2007) (self-testing for BSE)

Munsell v. U.S. Dept. of Agric., 435 F.Supp.2d 149 (D. D.C. 2006) (claim against harsh regulation by meat processor)

Northwestern University v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 403 F.Supp.2d 83 (D. D.C. 2005) (FOIA claim against APHIS)

San Juan Audubon Soc'y v. Wildlife Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Serv., 257 F.Supp.2d 133 (D. D.C. 2003) (poison traps and endangered species)



ARKANSAS


Delancy v. State, 151 S.W.3d 301 (Ark. 2004) (injunction requiring rancher to slaughter elk herd)



COLORADO


Keyah Grande, LLC v. Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, 159 P.3d 727 (Colo. Ct. App. 2006) (elk herd and chronic wasting disease)



FLORIDA


Brown v. Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services, 946 So.2d 646 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2007) (confiscation of cattle by state)

G.A. Mack v. Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 912 So.2d 1274 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005) (confiscation of orange trees)



MISSISSIPPI


Slay v. Spell, 882 So.2d 254 (Miss. Ct. App. 2004) (failure of processing plant to screen for E. coli)



OHIO


Wygonski v. Medina Cty. Agric. Soc'y., 785 N.E.2d 831 (Ohio C.P. 2002) (E. coli at fairgrounds and government liability)

Wygonski v. Medina Cty. Agric. Soc'y., 785 N.E.2d 827 (Ohio C.P. 2002) (E. coli at fairgrounds and government liability)



PENNSYLVANIA


Sweeney v. Merrymead Farm, Inc., 799 A.2d 972 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2002) (E. coli at a petting zoo)



TENNESSEE


Bean v. Bredesen, 2005 WL 1025767 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005) (banning the private ownership of deer)



VIRGINIA


Board of Sup'rs of Rockingham County v. Stickley, 556 S.E.2d 748 (Va. 2002) (game birds and disease)



WASHINGTON


Fabrique v. Choice Hotels Intern., Inc., 183 P.3d 1118 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008) (Salmonella poisoning)



WISCONSIN


Wilson v. Tuxen, 2008 WL 2097394 (Wis. Ct. App. 2008) (sale of diseased dairy herd)

Kautz ex rel. Kautz v. Ozaukee County Agric. Soc'y, 688 N.W.2d 771 (Wis. Ct. App. 2004) (E. coli infection and recreational immunity statute)







 

This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Agreement No. 59-8201-9-115. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The National Agricultural Law Center is a federally funded research institution located at the University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville.

Web site: www.NationalAgLawCenter.org | Phone: (479)575-7646 | Email: NatAgLaw@uark.edu