Because of the weed killer glyphosate, Bayer has a large legal construction site in the US. There were two important court decisions on Friday. One relates to Bayer, and the other to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
San Francisco/Jackson County – The US Environmental Protection Agency has been ordered by an appeals court to review the health risks of glyphosate.
A San Francisco court has cast doubt on the EPA’s assessment that the active ingredient in Bayer’s controversial Roundup weed killer poses no particular risk to humans.
The topic is of great importance for the German Bayer group. It is facing numerous US lawsuits in the US over the alleged cancer risks of glyphosate. There was good news for Dax on Friday: In a case in the state of Oregon, it scored another success in court. Bayer has now won the last four US lawsuits involving plaintiffs who blame glyphosate for cancer.
How dangerous is the pesticide?
The EPA last reviewed the weed killer in 2020 and claims it poses no health risk when used properly. The environmental organization NRDC, among others, complained about this. “For years, the EPA has refused to do anything about the harmful effects of this pesticide on people and the environment,” the organization said Friday. The court made it clear that it cannot continue like this.
In the ruling, the competent appellate court was particularly troubled by the way in which the EPA reasoned that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. The basic analysis is “incorrect” and does not comply with the authorities’ guidelines. The EPA declined to comment on criticism of the issue. A spokeswoman said the glyphosate decision would be reviewed.
Optimism at Bayer
In a statement, Bayer expressed its belief that even in the new review, the EPA found no cancer risk from glyphosate. The US government’s Environmental Agency acted conscientiously last time and conducted a “rigorous” evaluation of scientific studies over the past 40 years. Bayer took on the glyphosate lawsuits with its $60 billion acquisition of seed giant Monsanto in 2018.
Many procedures in the US are based specifically on the assessment of the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 2015, she classified Monsanto’s weed killer as “probably carcinogenic” to humans. Bayer denies this, arguing with the approval of many regulatory agencies and studies intended to show that glyphosate is safe when used as directed.
The tide finally turned after Bayer lost the first three glyphosate lawsuits in the United States. On Friday, the Dax group won the fourth procedure in a row. A Jackson County, Oregon, grand jury unanimously found that Roundup was not responsible for the plaintiff’s cancer. “We stand fully behind Roundup’s security,” Bayer said. The group announced that it will “confidently” defend itself in all future legal conflicts on the subject.
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