Roundup ruling riles Republicans

GOP LAWMAKERS MAY PULL FUNDS FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Republican lawmakers are threatening to cut off U.S. funding for the World Health Organization’s cancer research program over its finding that the herbicide Roundup is probably carcinogenic to humans.

House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith said Tuesday that the 2015 conclusion by the International Agency for Research on Cancer was fundamentally flawed and relied on cherry-picked science. The Texas lawmaker said he has serious concerns about anti-industry bias and a lack of transparency within the program, which is based in Lyon, France.

A separate review by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded in December that Roundup is not likely to cause cancer at typical levels of exposure.

Roundup, made by the agribusiness giant Monsanto, is the world’s most widely used weed killer and has been sprayed on fruits and vegetables since the 1970s. It is also widely used on lawns and golf courses.

Monsanto also sells seeds genetically modified to produce crops that can tolerate being sprayed with glyphosate — the basis of Roundup — as the surrounding weeds die.

“There are real repercussions to IARC’s unsubstantiated claims, which are not backed by reliable data,” Smith said at a hearing. “Labelling requirements will drive costs up for farmers and consumers and create unjustified public fear.”