The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Monsanto, deciding that the company cannot be held liable for failing to warn consumers about the alleged cancer risks of its weedkiller Roundup on its label.
The 7-2 decision, delivered by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, found that a federal law regulating pesticide products bars lawsuits in state courts alleging that Monsanto failed to include a cancer warning on Roundup’s labels. The Environmental Protection Agency has deemed Roundup safe to use and does not require a cancer warning on its label.
Roundup Cancer Risks
The case, Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, was brought by John Durnell, a gardener from Missouri who claimed that the key ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Durnell had been exposed to Roundup for over 20 years.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, regulates the use and sale of pesticides and sets a uniform framework for labeling of the chemicals. The EPA has evaluated whether glyphosate-based pesticides pose adverse health risks to humans, including cancer risks, and has deemed Roundup safe to use.
The decision is expected to block thousands of lawsuits from consumers who claimed Monsanto failed to warn them that the product could cause cancer. Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company that acquired Monsanto in 2018, said the ruling would help contain the Roundup litigation after nearly a decade of legal battles.
Implications and Reactions
Bayer has proposed a $7.25 billion class settlement to resolve current and future claims related to Roundup’s use, which is now before a Missouri state court. If approved, Monsanto would make annual payments for up to 21 years.
The ruling has significant implications for the thousands of people who have sued Monsanto and alleged that Roundup caused their cancer. The decision highlights the tension between federal regulations and state laws, as well as the ongoing debate over the safety of glyphosate-based pesticides.
The Supreme Court’s decision will have far-reaching consequences for consumers, farmers, and industries that rely on pesticide products, and will likely shape the future of product liability lawsuits in the United States.
