WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Despite thousands of lawsuits from people claiming that the weed killer glyphosate caused their cancer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that the active ingredient in Roundup is safe.

In draft findings from a periodic review, the EPA stated that glyphosate “is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” the Associated Press reported. Bayer has said it faces U.S. lawsuits from 13,400 people over exposure to glyphosate. Bayer acquired Roundup maker Monsanto last year.

The EPA is relying on industry-backed studies and not looking at research linking glyphosate to an increased risk for cancer, Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, told the AP. Two recent U.S. court verdicts gave multimillion-dollar awards to men who said glyphosate caused their lymphoma.

“EPA has found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an agency news release. “Today’s proposed action includes new management measures that will help farmers use glyphosate in the most effective and efficient way possible, including pollinator protections. We look forward to input from farmers and other stakeholders to ensure that the draft management measures are workable, realistic, and effective.”

AP News Article
More Information: EPA

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