A woman uses a Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller spray without glyphosate in a garden in Ercuis near Paris, France, May 6, 2018.
Glyphosate developer Monsanto was convicted in 2018 and 2019 of not taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of Roundup – their weed killer containing the chemical, which two California juries found caused cancer in two users. It did propose new instructions, subject to a public comment period, for farmers and others using the chemical to reduce “spray drift” that can harm butterflies.
Meanwhile, labels would also be required to state that when applied from the ground, the chemical must not be sprayed from more than four feet above crops – and that all nozzles must be set to mist the product at a “fine” or coarser setting.The EPA said the chemical presents a “low toxicity” to honey bees, but does present a “potential risk” to birds and plants, including aquatic plants.