The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it accidentally released an 87-page report which concluded that glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup weed killer — is “not likely” to cause cancer in humans.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one was diagnosed with any form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) after using or being exposed to Roundup, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against Monsanto and our lawyers can help.
What’s the Problem?
May 5, 2016 – The documents revoked earlier this week are from a report by the EPA’s Cancer Assessment Review Committee (PDF) which says “epidemiological studies in humans showed no association between glyphosate exposure” and 15 types of cancers, according to the Des Moines Register.
EPA said it doesn’t expect to finish its review of glyphosate until later this year. The agency periodically reviews chemicals to ensure they’re performing as designed and aren’t causing harm to people or the environment.
“Documents on glyphosate that are still in development were taken down from the agency’s docket because our assessment is still ongoing and not final,” said EPA spokesman Nick Conger.
Glyphosate is is sprayed on genetically modified crops grown from Monsanto seeds, killing weeds but allowing the plants to live. The chemical has been linked to a large number of serious health conditions.
In March 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued a report in which it classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic.” IARC said the chemical, which is contained in over 750 products, has been detected in water, air and food during spraying.
Monsanto argued that the agency’s findings contradicted decades of studies which have found that glyphosate is safe. The company criticized the IARC for “cherry picking” data and accused it of promoting “an agenda-driven bias.” Monsanto said the revoked EPA report was just the latest to determine that glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer.
Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said the EPA report should be the final assessment on the cancer risk associated with glyphosate. She said the agency still needs to release data on the chemical’s impact on the environment and wildlife.
“Monsanto could have written (this report),” said Sass. “It’s really outrageous that (the EPA) came out so different than where the World Health Organization and other agencies are.”
Do I Have a Roundup Lawsuit?
The Product Liability Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Roundup lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently investigating potential settlements in all 50 states.
Free Confidential Case Evaluation: Again, if you developed any form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) after using or being exposed to Roundup, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and we can help.