Reuters — A U.S. farm worker and a horticultural assistant have filed lawsuits claiming Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide caused their cancers and Monsanto intentionally misled the public and regulators about the dangers of the herbicide. The lawsuits come six months after the World Health Organization’s cancer research unit said it was classifying glyphosate, the active weed-killing […] Read more
U.S. workers sue Monsanto claiming herbicide caused cancer
VW scandal might ‘hurt’ diesel prices, gas analyst says
CNS Canada –– The scandal gripping German automaker Volkswagen and its diesel-powered passenger cars could ultimately result in a glut of diesel coming onto the market, according to a fuel analyst. “I don’t think anybody sees diesel going away forever, but from a passenger vehicle (viewpoint) we really need to get more evidence. Is this […] Read more
U.S. court finds EPA wrong to approve sulfoxaflor over bee risks
Reuters — A U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday that federal regulators erred in allowing an insecticide developed by Dow AgroSciences onto the market, canceling its approval and giving environmentalists a major victory. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, is significant for commercial beekeepers and others […] Read more
Scientists seek review of glyphosate, allege ‘flawed’ regulations
Reuters — U.S. regulators have relied on flawed and outdated research to allow expanded use of an herbicide linked to cancer, and new assessments should be urgently conducted, according to a column published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. There are two key factors that necessitate regulatory action to protect human health, […] Read more
White House directs U.S. GMO regulators to update oversight
Reuters — The White House on Thursday directed the three U.S. agencies that oversee biotech crop products to improve and modernize their regulatory “framework” to boost public confidence in a system that critics call a failure. The order, announced in a statement by President Barack Obama’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, followed demands by […] Read more
Reactions mixed on U.S. biofuel policy role in Canadian market
CNS Canada — The climate of the Canadian renewable fuel market could shift when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes its new targets, some industry professionals say. Revised biofuel targets recently proposed by the EPA would reduce standards put in place in 2007. The changes would adjust Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) regulations by reducing volume […] Read more
Expansion in U.S. ethanol on hold after blending targets slashed
Chicago | Reuters –– Expansion in the U.S. ethanol industry, stuck in neutral for more than a year as the government debated biofuel blending requirements, is now likely to come to a screeching halt. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week essentially maintaining the so-called blend wall that mandates nearly every gallon of gasoline […] Read more
U.S. seeks middle ground on biofuel targets, pleasing few
New York | Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday unveiled much-delayed biofuel targets that sought to strike a middle ground for the nation’s contentious renewable fuels policy but still met with threats of legal action from two of the biggest industries, oil and corn. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to raise its previous target […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn drops, soybeans rise on new biofuel targets
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn futures fell on Friday and posted a second straight weekly decline after the U.S. government lowered its targets for ethanol blending and as corn export demand slumped for the crop harvested this autumn. Soybeans rose about one per cent, led by sharply higher soybean oil futures as the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. EPA proposing temporary pesticide-free zones for honeybees
Reuters — U.S. environmental regulators on Thursday proposed a rule that would create temporary pesticide-free zones to protect commercial honeybees, which are critical to food production and have been dying off at alarming rates. The restrictions are aimed at protecting bees from “pesticides that are acutely toxic” to them, and would cover foliar applications when […] Read more
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