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Pesticide Action Network

Pesticide Action Network

Monsanto ordered to pay nearly $80 million for health damages

For Immediate Release: March 28, 2019

San Francisco, CA – In an historic ruling in a United States District Court in San Francisco, CA, a jury found the Monsanto corporation liable for a California man’s cancer caused in part by its herbicide, Roundup, on Wednesday, March 27. The plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman, was awarded $75 million in punitive damages and $5 million for past and future suffering.

In light of the World Health Organization’s determination in 2015 that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is a ‘probable human carcinogen,’ several thousand individuals who have been exposed to the herbicide and suffered from cancer are in the process of suing Monsanto. This verdict sets a precedent into the future.

Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, Senior Scientist with Pesticide Action Network, issued the following statement:

“Edwin Hardeman’s victory in court is a landmark moment — it signals a turning tide. For too long, corporations have profited from toxic pesticides without being held accountable for damages. For decades Monsanto assured farmers, farmworkers, pesticide applicators, and homeowners that glyphosate was harmless. As Monsanto (now merged with Bayer) is finally held accountable for its impacts, we must also hold our public agencies accountable to science. Public opinion is already shifting, with school districts and communities across the country working on banning glyphosate. It’s time to get carcinogenic pesticides off the market, and support the transition to ecological pest management approaches.”

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Contact: Ahna Kruzic, ahna@panna.org (510) 927-5379

Photo: Mike Mozart | Flickr

Pesticide Action Network

Pesticide Action Network

Pesticide Action Network is dedicated to advancing alternatives to pesticides worldwide. Follow @pesticideaction

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