Glyphosate causes cancer, court finds; Newburyport moves to ban the biocide

On March 20th in a surprise victory for safe and sustainable agriculture and landscaping advocates, a federal court found that Monsanto’s Roundup was a “substantial factor” in causing a man’s cancer. The German company Bayer bought Monsanto last year in a controversial mega-merger, and along with it the liability of its flagship product; the company’s stocks plummeted 12% on the day of the verdict. Bayer now faces more than 11,200 lawsuits over the popular weed killer, as city parks departments and other entities across the country discontinue its use, as a precaution.

The City of Newburyport, Massachusetts is the most recent local municipality to begin phasing out use of the biocide, glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup). Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Newburyport resident Walt Thompson, the City Parks Department decided in February 2019 to stop using glyphosate in city parks. Then on March 21st, the Newburyport Board of Health issued a proclamation recognizing the risks of synthetic pesticides and establishing April 2019 as “Alternative to Pesticides Month!” The City Council will now take up a resolution to ban the use of glyphosate on all city property. "The driving force for me trying to have this banned has been for the sake of bees and butterflies, but there appears to be long-term effects on kids and workers who are exposed to this stuff," Walt stated. In reflecting upon the momentum in Newburyport, he remarked: “We’re on the North Shore, but we’re still making waves.”