News
California legislation threat to Glyphosate use
California EPA declares Roundup will be labelled as “cancer causing”
The State of California is celebrating a victory over Monsanto as legislation was voted in to mark one of its weedkillers, Roundup, with a “Cancer Causing” label.
In a decision put forth by California’s Environmental Protection Agency, the weedkiller’s main ingredient, glyphosate, will now warn consumers about its alleged dangerous side effects. California’s decision is the first of its kind in the USA to legally label glyphosate as a carcinogen.
In recent years, Roundup, developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, has become a popular and widely used chemical across the globe. The chemical is used as a weedkiller, known to kill weeds and grasses without killing crops. Over the years, weeds have begun to grow tolerant to glyphosate, spurring farmers to use even more
of the chemical. Although Roundup helps to bolster crops, it has also been linked to toxic side effects in both lab animals and humans. Cancer, birth defects and other reproductive problems are linked to exposure to Roundup and other carcinogens.
Earlier this year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer found glyphosate to be a ‘probable’ carcinogen, which inspired California to further examine the chemical. The state’s choice to label glyphosate as a carcinogen is a monumental step against Monsanto.
Monsanto has called for a retraction, to no avail.
California’s EPA put out an announcement with the intention to list glyphosate as a carcinogen, and invited the public to comment on the issue until October 5th.
Hopefully, say the California EPA; “the rest of the country will follow suit, and help to protect against Roundup’s toxic effects”.
Commenting on the California EPA decision, Maxwell Amenity’s Vicki Wall, SprayCDA & External Sales Manager, said; “the Amenity Forum have indicated that the UK are going to take a research based approach to any decision made on glyphosate. Research overwhelmingly suggests that glyphosate is safe and the carcinogenic levels are no higher than that in a cup of coffee!”
“Obviously, we need to be very mindful of public opinion and the campaigns which are mainly based on limited research and shock value. However, it is my feeling that we can use our industry standing to offer support to the Amenity Forum and the industry as a whole by providing a sensible
Vicki Wall, SprayCDA
balanced view, based on the benefit of glyphosate used in an integrated approach to weed, pest and disease management.”
As has been witnesed previously, decisions made in California often become part of worldwide legislation after a number of years; the California Air Resources Board (CARB) emission requirements for small engines being a prime example.
PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 I 7
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