In a decision issued on June 17, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals rejected the EPA’s review of glyphosate, which is the active chemical ingredient in Roundup herbicide.
When EPA reviewed glyphosate, it acknowledged that there may be an association between glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), but then concluded that glyphosate poses no risk to human health. The Court said, “this conclusion is in tension with parts of the agency’s own
analysis and with the guidelines it purports to follow.” In other words, the agency cannot recognize the cancer risk on one hand, but then officially say the chemical is not likely to be harmful to humans.
The ruling invalidates EPA’s safety conclusion and forces the agency to redo its evaluation of glyphosate. That reevaluation could lead the agency to restrict use of Roundup.