BILLINGS, Mont. - R-CALF USA, South Dakota Stockgrowers and nine other plaintiffs are seeking a district court in South Dakota to issue a preliminary injunction that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from implement its "over 30 month" rule, or OTM.

The rule, scheduled to take effect Nov. 19, would open the Canadian border to imports of live cattle born after March 1, 1999, and beef products from OTM Canadain cattle.

"R-CALF USA'S policy initiatives are based on direct feedback from our members who have strongly endorsed efforts to maintain strong protections for the health of the U.S. cattle herd and the highest level of confidence in U.S. cattle and U.S. beef," said Bill Bullard, R-CALF chief executive.

R-CALF officials point to 11 cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as mad cow disease, as a key reason to keep the border closed to the older cattle.

"In recent months, the string of news stories exposing unsafe products imported from abroad, including contaminated meat and other food, is undermining confidence in the quality and safety of U.S. meat," Bullard said. "The latest stories about the E.coli contaminated hamburger that resulted in the second-largest meat recall in history that apparently originated in Canada has further increased the perception that consumer confidence in U.S. beef is being undercut by imported food, including beef from Canada."

Individual plaintiffs include South Dakota cattle producers Herman Schumacher, Robert Mack, Ernie Mertz, and Wayne Nelson. Plaintiff organizations include: R-CALF USA; the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association; the Center for Food Safety; the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation; Food & Water Watch; Public Citizen, which has 90,000 members; and, the Consumer Federation of America, with 50 million members.

The preliminary injunction is being sought from the District Court - District of South Dakota, Northern Division.