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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.360 2018-2020 Ken Ogawa t� From: Nasser Dean <nasser.dean@bayer.com> 7 1 Sent: Sunday,August 11, 2019 5:19 AM Subject: [EXT] Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) Position on Glyphosate WARNING:This email originated from outside of the organization. Exercise caution when viewing attachments,clicking links,or responding to requests. WSSA's Position on Glyphosate Posted on August 9, 2019 August 9, 2019 SSA Statement on Glyphosate Glyphosate is a uniquely effective and generally nonselective herbicide with a wide range of uses in both agricultural and nonagricultural settings. It has been widely adopted in conjunction with glyphosate-resistant ('Roundup Ready') crops, and is also commonly used to manage weeds in conservation tillage crop production, resulting in significant soil improvement and savings. Glyphosate is used in orchards and vineyards, aquatic settings, fallow and noncrop fields, and around homes and gardens. Because of its effectiveness and other desirable characteristics,glyphosate has become the most widely used synthetic herbicide in human history. In 2015,glyphosate was classified as a "probable carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC). IARC has applied the same classification to red meat, hot beverages, and emissions from high-temperature frying, as well as to more than 70 other chemicals.This designation has caused widespread public concern about the safety of glyphosate while being the recent focus of multiple lawsuits. Although WSSA members are not experts in human toxicology and epidemiology,we appreciate the rigorous, transparent, and risk-based review process undertaken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) as mandated by the Food Quality Protection Act(FQPA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act(FIFRA). These statutes specify that when setting exposure tolerances, any proposed use of a pesticide should provide a "reasonable certainty of no harm" and that using the pesticide as directed "will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects"to humans or the environment. FIFRA states that when considering these risks,the EPA must consider"the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of the use of any pesticide."The EPA review process is substantially broader in scope than the more limited hazard-based assessment conducted by IARC. After reviewing the best evidence available, regulatory bodies around the world have consistently concluded that glyphosate-based herbicides are not likely to be carcinogenic.These agencies include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA). Additionally, an independent 2018 Agricultural Health Study supported by U.S. National Cancer Institute found no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer.That conclusion was drawn by researchers who followed the health of more than 50,000 licensed pesticide applicators over more than 20 years. As part of its standard periodic assessment of previously registered herbicides,the EPA issued a proposed interim registration review decision on glyphosate in April 2019 (Case Number 0178). EPA reiterated that glyphosate is"not likely to be carcinogenic to humans" and that"jtjhe EFA thoroughly assessed risks to humans from exposure to glyphosate from all uses and all routes of exposure and did not identify any risks of concern." Extensive reliance on any single tool or technology can be cause for concern.As scientists and weed managers, our membership encourages diversification of weed management practices, including both chemical and nonei al Comm. r0 1 Ref. o: 1 (A p Ref. Date NOV 0 6 2 controls. For that reason, reducing the heavy reliance on glyphosate for weed control is certainly a desirable long-term outcome. if, though,glyphosate is banned by policy or public outcry, other tools will be used to manage weeds, and many come with their own potential for negative impacts on health and the environment. Prohibiting glyphosate use may also result in less effective weed control that could lead to reduced crop yields and quality, buildup of weed seed banks,weed-clogged waterways, degraded wildlife habitats, risks to human and animal health from toxic weed species. It is possible that labor costs may go up and that tillage may increase along with fossil fuel use and soil erosion. In addition, hand-labor can carry the very real risk of musculoskeletal injuries and of skin cancer from overexposure tVthe sun. The WSSA supports the scientific evaluation conducted by EPA to determine the safety of properly applied pesticides. When determining whether to allow or discontinue use of any pesticide, it is important to not only weigh the costs and benefits of that pesticide, but also to understand the risks and benefits of the most likely alternatives. Decisions related to glyphosate use are no different. Ongoing research and evaluation are justified,and our society will remain current on further developments related to carcinogenic risk and glyphosate as new information becomes available. About the Weed Science Society 0fAmerica The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society,was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment,The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers,fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information,visit . The information contained in this e-mail is for the exclusive use of the intended recipient(s)and may be confidential,proprietary,andlor legally privileged. Inadvertent disclosure mthis message does not constitute o waiver of any privilege. Ifyou receive this message in error,please donot directly or indirectly use,print,copy,forward,or disclose any pad of this message. Please also delete this e-mail and all copies and notify the sender. Thank you. _ Kity ..,, s .t r R nthQuer-_--)�tionstthe ty of B-0yer ffr__"oundup0 Products- for , rr t l r Management Is Roundup° Safe to Use? Glyphosate-based Roundup products have been used safely and successfully for over four decades worldwide. What does the Science Say? Conclusions from regulatory authorities around the world support the safety of glyphosate products when used as directed. Most recently, in April 2019, the EPA stated, "there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen." Does Roundup Cause Cancer? There is an extensive body of research, spanning more than 40 years and including more than 800 rigorous studies submitted to regulators, on which leading health authorities worldwide have based their conclusions that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. These health authorities include the U.S. EPA, as well as assessments by the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA), European Chemicals Agency(ECHA), German BfR,Australian, Korean, Canadian, New Zealand and Japanese regulatory authorities and the Joint FAC/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Significantly, the largest and most recent epidemiology studies, which are the most relevant research for assessing exposure effects in the human population, each found that there was no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and NHL overall in real-world use. These studies include the 2018 National Cancer Institute-supported Agricultural Health Study, which followed over 50,000 licensed pesticide applicators for more than 20 years; the 2019 Leon Agricoh Consortium study that included over 300,000 pesticide applicators; and data from the 2016 North American Pooled Project, Where Can I find More Information? It For more information about glyphosate-based Roundup products, visit www.Bayer.comlglyphosate 11 For information about the U.S. glyphosate litigation, visit www,GlyphosateLitigationFacts.com ofell, 041 rtQ a A 'k?tolunoup &UiNdU i rl� -R- O; - Nerbfaide r B ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS BAYER Bayer Environmental Science.a Division of Bayer CropScience LP,5000 CentreGreen Way,Suite 400,Cary,NO 27513,For additional product information,call E toll-free 1-800-331-2867.Not all products are registered in all states.Bayer,the Bayer Cross,Roundup,Roundup Quwl<Pro,Roundup ProMax,Roundup Pro and R Roundup Custom are registered trademarks of Bayer Group.�2019 Bayer CropScience LP.ES-0619-MULTI-0149-A-PI L, At R "' ;% { Et•. 't 'ti' .k # r*"'F"n:{ F y4 yy: 4 v. ".'+. t q `i 5' r.W. sett. Olt . .4 auk � yp s b R � S i • an. � h a h +, r M fe h ,• h h � Y.. h • # h . The confusion about glyphosate and cancer primarily stems from one place: an opinion by a group called IARC. IARC is not a regulatory authority and did no original scientific studies. IARC's opinion is inconsistent with the conclusions of regulatory authorities and other experts around the world, who have assessed all the studies examined by IARC and many more. "EPA considered a significantly more extensive and relevant dataset than the International Agency on the Research for Cancer (IARC)® EPA!s database includes studies submitted to support registration of glyphosate and studies EPA identified in the open literature." — U.S, Environmental Protection Agency Wlebpage, April 20,119 IARC is an outlier even within the World Health Organization (WHO). IARC is one of four programs within the WHO that has evaluated the safety of glyphosate and is the only one to find an association between glyphosate and carcinogenicity. The WHO's International Programme on Chemical Safety and Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) both found that glyphosate is not carcinogenic, and the WHO's Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality found that glyphosate does not present a hazard to human health. After IARC's opinion was announced in 2015, U.S. trial lawyers started running advertising campaigns to recruit people for lawsuits against Monsanto and Bayer. The current U.S. glyphosate litigation began just months after the publication of IARC's opinion. We have deep sympathy for anyone suffering from cancer but the extensive body of science on glyphosate-based herbicides over four decades supports the conclusion that RoundupO does not cause NHL. Bayer will continue to vigorously defend glyphosate and RoundupO products. Importantly, none of the verdicts in the U.S. glyphosate litigation are final at this Stage. We believe that the extensive body of science(hundreds of studies over several decades), the more than 40 years of safe use, and the conclusions of regulators around the world will ultimately be determinative in the litigation. a Cr.CWQ a I I VA 114 A P1 L"Lo ME= For more information Glyphosate will continue to play a vital role in agriculture and about glyphosate: in Bayer's portfolio,and we recently announced a more than www.Bayer.com/glyphosate $5.5 billion investment to research and develop additional weed-control methods to complement glyphosate. For information about the U.S.glyphosate litigation: www.GlyphosateLitigationFacts.com P2019 Bayer Group All Rights Reserved.