A pair of Democratic lawmakers is pressing the Forest Service to respond to complaints that it’s overusing a weed killer that has sparked contentious debate about ties to cancer.
Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine and Jared Huffman of California asked Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz in a letter June 4 to detail the agency’s use of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that’s sparked legal disputes, competing health claims and policy-related conflicts within the Trump administration.
“Given the recent scientific disputes, retracted studies, and litigation surrounding glyphosate due to serious ecological and health harms, we are deeply concerned by the alleged use of the herbicide and lack of information available regarding current and planned use,” the lawmakers wrote.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has said glyphosate — sold under the brand name Roundup — probably causes cancer, and its maker, Bayer, is managing related lawsuits. But EPA and other countries’ regulatory agencies say there’s no evidence of a connection and that glyphosate is safe when used according to label instructions.
