It’s been more than a decade in the making, and now Bayer — the maker of Roundup weed killer — has agreed to a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits it has faced since 2015.
The Roundup cancer lawsuits began pouring in shortly after the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate, the herbicide’s active ingredient, as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
That word “probably” is enough to make anyone uneasy.
However, not all health agencies agree. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained that glyphosate is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” when used as directed. Other regulatory bodies around the world have reached similar conclusions, which Bayer has repeatedly cited in its defense.
Bayer has consistently denied that Roundup causes cancer, even as it moves forward with settlements to resolve ongoing litigation.
The awkward part is that Bayer — a German company — didn’t originally create Roundup. The herbicide was developed by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018 right as the lawsuits were intensifying in the United States. That acquisition left Bayer responsible for the mounting legal battles tied to the product.
Bayer is not admitting that Roundup causes cancer. Instead, the company has said the settlements are an effort to resolve long-running and costly litigation that has stretched on for years.
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson — and no, not the country legend known as “Whisperin’ Bill” Anderson — said the company was encouraged that progress toward a settlement had been made.
Anderson said, “Litigation uncertainty has plagued the company for years, and this settlement gives us a road to closure.”
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According to the Guardian, the proposed settlement was filed in St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri, where Bayer’s North American Crop Science division is based and where many of the lawsuits have been brought.
It’s also important to note that the settlement still needs the court’s approval. Reuters reports that individuals who believe they were affected by Roundup may still be able to file claims as part of the settlement process.
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