Senator Hoylman Derides Continued Use of Cancer-Causing 'Weed Roundup' in New York State

Senator Hoylman’s legislation (S126) would ban glyphosate chemicals in New York state

NEW YORK, NY - State Senator Brad Hoylman (D/WF - Manhattan) issued the following statement in response to a San Francisco jury’s decision to settle against Monsanto, saying the company’s popular glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup gave a man cancer.  Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289 million in damages to the plaintiff, a former school groundskeeper named Dwayne Johnson.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the single most popular herbicide in the United States, known commonly as “Roundup”. It is used to kill weeds, and is regularly deployed on farms, lawns, and gardens across the state of New York. Glyphosate is considered a cancer-causing agent in the state of California and is characterized as a ‘probable human carcinogen’ by the World Health Organization.

Senator Hoylman carries two bills in the state legislature that would both ban the use of glyphosate outright (S126) and put a moratorium on the sale and distribution of the chemical until its effects are properly studied (S127).

Senator Holyman said: “Justice has partially been served in California, but there is no respite from the harms of glyphosate until we see an outright ban. New York deserves better. That is why I sponsor legislation in the state senate to fully ban this harmful chemical and properly study its effects. The Senate should act on this vital piece of legislation come January to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers.”

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