The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had scheduled a panel to determine whether glyphosate, the chemical present in Monsanto’s Roundup line of products, is safe for use. These meetings, initially scheduled for October 18-21, have now been postponed. The EPA says these meetings were postponed to allow the inclusion of additional epidemiologists to better assess the chemical’s carcinogenicity and “allow for a more robust review of the data.”
Several lawsuits have been filed regarding Monsanto’s line of Roundup Weed Killer products. The herbicides that include glyphosate have been linked to many forms of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If you or a loved one used or were exposed to Roundup herbicides and then suffered from any type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, you may be entitled to compensation. Lawyers at the Kishish firm can help. Contact us for a free case evaluation at our toll-free number 1 (888) 402-5552 or using our online contact form.
The EPA’s meetings were scheduled as a part of the review of glyphosate it has been conducting since 2009. Assessments of chemicals registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) are required at least every 15 years and include an assessment of risk vs. benefit.
While the EPA’s preliminary report on glyphosate suggested that glyphosate did not support the description of “likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” the report conversely admitted that “the association between glyphosate exposure and risk of NHL [non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma] cannot be determined based on the available data.” The findings of non-carcinogenicity are at odds with reports published by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which suggested that glyphosate did pose a risk for cancer in human subjects. The scheduled panel would purportedly aim to integrate all of the data available on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate and make a determination of how the chemical should be regulated by the government.
Some commentators, including journalist and research director at U.S. Right to Know, Carey Gilliam, think that the delay might be due to lobbying on the part of the trade association CropLife America, an organization that represents the interests of pesticide companies like Monsanto. Specifically, CropLife America called for the disqualification of Dr. Peter Infante for lacking the “temperament for unbiased analysis of glyphosate.” Gilliam notes that Dr. Infante has an extensive resume in determining the carcinogenicity of various chemicals and thus, calls for his disqualification are suspect. Others, like Julie Kelly at the American Council on Science and Health, find that the EPA’s delays are just the opposite, efforts to support the “fear-mongering” surrounding the use of glyphosate.
Regardless of why the EPA has decided to delay its panel on glyphosate, lawsuits against Monsanto that allege that Roundup can cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma continue to move forward.
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