Court Strikes Down Glyphosate Decision

SAN FRANCISCO – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in a challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to permit widespread, continued use of the herbicide glyphosate. 

 NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council), Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), and a coalition of groups represented by the Center for Food Safety (“Rural Coalition”) filed the challenge in May of 2020. Prompted by a Rural Coalition argument, the Court vacated EPA’s determination that glyphosate “is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” It also accepted the Agency’s request to re-do its analysis of the ecological effects of glyphosate, but required it to issue a revised analysis by October of 2022.

Following is reaction from Lucas Rhoads, staff attorney for the pollinator project at NRDC: 

“For years, the EPA has refused to take action to address the harmful effects this pesticide has on people and the environment. The 9th Circuit made clear that the Agency cannot continue to delay a process that could finally result in restrictions on glyphosate’s usage. 

“The delays have to end if we are going to protect the people who are forced into close proximity with this dangerous chemical, and the wildlife that is indiscriminately impacted by it. This is a huge win for farmworkers fighting to protect their health. It is also essential to protect species like the monarch butterfly which are already under broad threat.”

The opinion is available at https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/opinion-glyphosate-20220617.pdf

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.