The Centre for Health Science and Law said its $1 billion class action lawsuit alleging Canada’s bestselling herbicide causes cancer will put Canadian regulators to the test, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “A central argument of Bayer Monsanto is glyphosate must be safe because it has been approved by Health Canada,” said Centre for Health Science and Law Executive Director Bill Jeffrey in a statement. The class action lawsuit against Roundup brand glyphosate was certified in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. “Health Canada’s indifference to the voluminous, damning US litigation outcomes and the World Health Organization guidance, its stated preference for industry studies over peer review research and its foot-dragging on parliamentary review may be coming home to roost in Canadian courts,” said Jeffrey. The Ontario Superior Court certified the lawsuit in DeBlock vs. Monsanto Canada on December 8. It noted 16 Roundup lawsuits are pending in Canada. A total of 125,000 claims for damages were filed in the US, where Roundup agreed to pay $9.6 billion in settlements. Critics have noted a 2015 World Health Organization report saying glyphosate could be carcinogenic to humans. Superior Court Justice Duncan Grace said the main issue is whether glyphosate is carcinogenic. Grace called these lawsuits “not for the faint of heart.” “As is clear from the experience in the United States so far, glyphosate litigation has been hard fought,” said Grace. “That applies to this action too.”The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) licensed Roundup for sale in Canada since 1976, with some 25 million kilograms used annually by industry estimate. PMRA Director of Health Evaluations Connie Moase said at a press conference in 2019 levels of exposure are far below any level of harm. “Our review left no stone unturned,” said Moase. The Canadian government vowed to eliminate cosmetic pesticides on federal property as part of an overhaul of how they are regulated and managed under the PMRA in June. READ MORE: Liberals to overhaul pesticide policy, allow weeds outside federal buildingsHealth Canada has published a notice of intent to begin consultations on proposed amendments to the Pest Control Products Regulations to evaluate acceptable increases to chemical residue limits on food, including glyphosate, in line with international standards.“The health and safety of Canadians will remain at the forefront of the process,” it said.
