The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ordered all county departments to cease using glyphosate-based herbicides, including Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.
The moratorium issued on Tuesday puts a stop to glyphosate spraying on county property until the health and environmental effects are understood. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other weed killers, is linked to numerous health issues, including cancer.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger proposed the LA glyphosate ban. “I am asking county departments to stop the use of this herbicide until public health and environmental professionals can determine if it’s safe for further use in L.A. County and explore alternative methods for vegetation management,” Barger said.
“In a 2015 study led by 17 experts from 11 countries, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate should be classified as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans,’” said County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, co-author of the LA glyphosate ban motion. “That conclusion makes it imperative that we question any long-term use of this controversial herbicide, and that’s exactly what this motion calls for.”
LA County Joins Dozens of Other U.S. Cities and Counties in Banning Glyphosate
In addition to banning glyphosate, the LA County order also calls for exploring glyphosate alternatives and identifying best practices employed by other cities and counties.
LA County joins dozens of other U.S. cities and counties to issue a glyphosate ban. In California, more than 25 cities, counties, school districts and parks & recreation departments have issued glyphosate bans/restrictions or are currently considering glyphosate bans/restrictions:
- Arcata
- Belvedere
- Benicia
- Berkeley
- Burbank
- Carlsbad
- Corte Madera
- Davis
- Encinitas
- Fairfax
- Fresno
- Irvine
- Lodi
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles County
- Mill Valley
- Novato
- Oakland
- Palo Alto
- Petaluma
- Richmond
- San Anselmo
- San Francisco
- San Lorenzo Valley
- Santa Rosa
- Sonoma
- Thousand Oaks
- Woodland
Monsanto Roundup Verdict Issued in Northern California
The LA County Board of Supervisors issued its glyphosate ban order on the same day that a San Francisco jury found that exposure to Roundup was a substantial factor in causing a Sonoma County man to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Edwin Hardeman, 70, was the first of hundreds of plaintiffs in the federal Roundup multidistrict litigation (MDL) to have his case heard by a jury.
“This is a huge win for all Roundup-induced NHL claimants and a devastating loss for Bayer/Monsanto,” said Michael Baum, managing shareholder of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman. Mr. Baum, R. Brent Wisner and Pedram Esfandiary are part of the trial team representing Edwin Hardeman.
Mr. Hardeman’s case now proceeds to the next phase, where the jury will determine whether and to what extent Monsanto (now Bayer) is liable for damages.
In August 2018, a jury in California state court awarded Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, who worked as a groundskeeper for the Benicia Unified School District, $289 million in damages.
“We were finally able to show the jury the secret, internal Monsanto documents proving that Monsanto has known for decades that glyphosate and specifically Roundup could cause cancer,” said attorney R. Brent Wisner, who served as co-lead trial counsel for Mr. Johnson.
“Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to require labeling, we are proud that an independent jury followed the evidence and used its voice to send a message to Monsanto that its years of deception regarding Roundup is over and that they should put consumer safety first over profits.”
The Johnson verdict was later reduced to $78.5 million and is on appeal. Mr. Johnson’s case was the first Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial.
Roundup Cancer Attorneys Representing Clients Nationwide
The law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman is a leader in the Monsanto Roundup litigation, representing hundreds of victims throughout the nation. The firm helped make public hundreds of internal company documents now known as the Monsanto Papers, which have been cited by activists, the news media and public policy makers around the world.
If you were exposed to Roundup weed killer and later diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, it is in your best interest to speak with an experienced attorney about your claim. Our firm has a proven track record of success against Monsanto (now Bayer). To speak with a Roundup cancer attorney, please call (855) 948-5098.
