Commodity groups, ag retailers and others are seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that challenges EPA’s interim approval of glyphosate.
Addressing the plaintiffs' claims, the groups contend EPA’s registration review decision is scientifically supportable and that the agency plans to finish its review of the chemical’s effects on endangered species before it issues its final decision.
They also said glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup, has been “repeatedly evaluated” for health and safety risks and, citing EPA’s decision, is “non-carcinogenic.”
The interim decision said glyphosate is “not likely to be carcinogenic,” but a press release said it was “not a carcinogen.”
Darren Coppock, CEO and president of the Agricultural Retailers Association, said, “This is one of the safest, most versatile and widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States and access to it continues to be vital to American agriculture."
The groups requesting intervention include the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council of America, American Soybean Association, National Sorghum Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and Monsanto.
The plaintiffs in the case are the Center for Food Safety, Beyond Pesticides, the Rural Coalition, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, and the Farmworker Association of Florida. They filed their challenge in March.
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