In December of 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel convened a four-day gathering to analyze research and hold a series of hearings on the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup®. The EPA previously delayed this hearing and removed a highly accredited scientist, Dr. Peter Infante, at the request of the pesticide trade group CropLife America, which represents Monsanto. During the hearings, panel members were skeptical of the EPA’s decision to exclude key studies in evaluating the safety of glyphosate
Independent scientist on the panel expressed concern when the EPA discounted research that showed the positive links between glyphosate and cancer. The Ecologist reports that some of the participating scientists felt that the EPA actually “violat[ed] its own guidelines in discounting data from various studies that show positive associations between glyphosate and cancer, and questioned “why the EPA excluded some data that showed statistical significance, and wrote off some of the positive findings to mere chance” (theecologist.org). When, in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified glyphosate a probable human carcinogen, they focused on peer-reviewed, published studies. The EPA, in contrast, also considered unpublished and unreviewed studies carried out by industry agents, including Monsanto. The EPA also gave a clear preference to industry spokesmen through increasing their allotted speaking time. Monsanto representatives were allowed hours to speak at a time versus the 10 to 20 minutes given to many of those advocating for the regulation of glyphosate.
The Center for Food Safety has written to the EPA in support of Dr. Peter Infante, who was removed from the panel at Crop Life’s request, saying that his removal violated federal regulations over advisory committees. While removed from the panel, Infante still spoke in the public hearing section of the scientific gathering in order to draw attention to the strong ties between glyphosate and cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He stated that “there is clearly the evidence for the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma related to glyphosate exposure.” The panel now has three months to give the EPA their findings on glyphosate, which can heavily influence the EPA’s re-registration and future safety regulations of the chemical.
Thousands of people who have been exposed to Roundup® through inhalation or skin exposure have developed cancer and other serious illnesses including non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The Miller firm has filed multiple lawsuits in several state and federal courts to hold Monsanto responsible for the carcinogenetic properties of Roundup®/Glyphosate. The Miller Firm is presently accepting clients who developed non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after exposure to Roundup®. If this has happened to you, please visit our Roundup Lawsuit page to request a free consultation. You also can call the Miller Firm at 1-800-882-2525.
