Groups oppose ‘Cancer Gag Act’ funding in NC budget bill

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A chemical used in some weed killers, called glyphosate, has been identified as a possible carcinogen, although there are different interpretations of the scientific evidence.

Health and safety advocates are opposing the parts of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again plan which would shield pesticide manufacturers from liability lawsuits.

Republicans in Congress are sponsoring legislation to roll back consumer protections against what are often called “forever chemicals,” which may cause cancer.

Rebecca Wolf, senior food policy analyst for the nonprofit Food and Water Watch, called the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act, also known as the “Cancer Gag Act,” a gift to industrial agriculture.

“What we’re seeing is a concerted effort or a real campaign from Bayer, pushing this campaign to shield pesticide manufacturers from health-related lawsuits,” Wolf said. “As well as hamper the EPA's ability to better regulate these toxic chemicals.”

The measure was also introduced as part of the North Carolina Farm Act and was still pending at the end of this year's legislative session, although it passed both the state House and Senate in different versions. Proponents of the legislation argue it provides relief from lawsuits for overburdened manufacturing companies.

Wolf noted Bayer Corporation’s weed-killing product, RoundUp, has been linked to a range of health problems, including various forms of cancer and birth effects. She added Bayer has already spent $11 billion to settle thousands of cancer-related lawsuits and is seeking refuge from future liability from the Trump administration. 

“It’s very much out of the ‘Big Ag, Big Chemical’ playbook that has brought us things like ‘right to farm’ and ‘ag-gag’ laws,” Wolf said. “Preemption, we’ve seen, has long been part of kind of a pro-corporate strategy to reverse hard-fought public health victories.”

Bayer said its herbicide products are safe when used as directed.

The Cancer Gag Act has been proposed and defeated in nine states and passed in two, Georgia and North Dakota. Wolf argued federal legislation would have a devastating effect on public health.

“What I’m seeing is a very dangerous deregulatory agenda that is set to make us very, very sick,” Wolf said.

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