Who Has The Final Say In Pesticide Law? Upcoming Webinar Providing Insight Into Glyphosate Litigation
WILL CLARK
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
Do federal pesticide labelling laws preempt state law claims? This question will be a focus of the National Agricultural Law Center’s webinar, “A Legal Roundup of Glyphosate: History and Outlook,” on Feb. 16, at noon EST/11 a.m. CST.
Glyphosate is a widely used pesticide in the United States. It is also the active ingredient in Roundup, a product manufactured by Bayer CropScience, and has been used for decades to combat weeds. In recent years, glyphosate has been at the center of several lawsuits where the plaintiffs claim that exposure to glyphosate caused them to develop cancer. Following jury trials, the lawsuits have resulted in several large awards awarded to plaintiffs, a large settlement available to thousands of plaintiffs, and an emerging legal issue that may ultimately be heard by the Supreme Court.
This webinar will offer an overview of glyphosate litigation, including a brief history and status of the topic as well as an in- depth look at the issue of preemption, a legal term used when a higher form of government reduces the authority of a lower level of government, and what it could mean for pesticide lawsuits.
According to a 2019 EPA report, approximately 280 million pounds of glyphosate are applied to nearly an average of 300 million acres of crop land annually. The broad-spectrum pesticide continues to be the topic of debate in several legal proceedings and regulatory processes.
A more recent regulatory update includes EPA’s January 2020 interim decision for registration review. Due to the widespread use of glyphosate, any legal or regulatory decision regarding glyphosate has the potential to impact agricultural producers throughout the country.
“The webinar will break down the complex litigation involving glyphosate, and where the lawsuits currently stand,” said Brigit Rollins, National Agricultural Law Center staff attorney and webinar presenter. “Attendees should be able to walk away with knowledge of the relevant legal issues, the status of the settlement and on-going lawsuits, and an understanding of why one glyphosate case has been appealed to the Supreme Court."
Rollins is a native of California and graduate of the Lewis & Clark Law School. Her focus is environmental law.
“Brigit’s expertise in environmental law will allow registrants of this webinar to fully grasp the legal state of glyphosate as we see it today,” National Agricultural Law Center Director Harrison Pittman said. “As an ongoing legal issue, glyphosate is a major topic to follow as we continue into 2022.”
Learn more and register for the webinar here: https://bit.ly/3fUOhA6. ∆
WILL CLARK: University of Arkansas
Brigit Rollins will provide an overview of the litigation surrounding glyphosate on Feb. 16.
U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo