Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this year — with wording supplied by Bayer — would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer, if their labels otherwise complied with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations. John Gilbert, who farms in Iowa Falls, called Republicans hypocritical for attempting to protect corporate interests after campaigning on standing up for Iowans. Critics of the legislation cite examples such as opioids and asbestos that had been deemed safe for use as directed by regulators — until they weren't. There are also concerns the legislation could stifle any product liability claim since most rely on the failed-to-warn argument. The bill, which Bayer helped to write, "invites a lot of reckless disregard", said John Gilbert, a farmer on the board of the Iowa Farmers Union. "No amount of perfume’s gonna make it anything but a skunk." The Independent

 

 

Monsanto is seeking approval to start selling a new GM corn seed that is resistant to a record FIVE different potent pesticides. If it gets the green light from USDA, this new “vaporiser” corn will be planted all over our farms, then drenched with two of the most volatile, damaging herbicides ever invented – dicamba and 2,4-D (an ingredient in Agent Orange) – in addition to glufosinate, quizalofop and glyphosate. It's a chemical cocktail designed to terminate all plant life – but we still have a chance to stop it. USDA is accepting public comments for a few more days – submit your comment and help stop the next super-generation of GMO crops! Center for Food Safety

 

 

We are sorry to hear of the death of Dr Eilish Cleary, a fearless defender of public health who was sacked as New Brunswick's chief medical officer while working on a report on glyphosate that was expected to be critical. GMWatch comment on article in The Globe and Mail

 

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