In a decision broadly affecting field trials of genetically engineered crops, a federal district judge ruled that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) must halt approval of all new field trials until more rigorous environmental reviews are conducted.

Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety, considers the move a “significant victory” that will imply more thorough oversight of the environmental impact of GM crops.

The federal lawsuit, filed in 2003 by the Center for Food Safety, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, and other individuals and organizations, concerns varieties of creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass that have been modified to resist Monsanto’s herbicide and weedkiller Roundup.

Large-scale planning of the grass means increased amounts of herbicide will be sprayed on home lawns, sports fields, schools, and golf courses around the country.

In studies concerning environmental contamination from genetically modified creeping bentgrass, the US Environmental Protection Agency found multiple instances of the pollen from the bentgrass traveling several miles and transferring its traits to native grasses. Last year, EPA researchers found that the engineered grasses had escaped from field trials to contaminate a national grassland.

“These field trials threaten our public land, our communities and our health,” said Lesley Adams, Outreach Coordinator for plaintiff Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.