RoundUp, The Latest Good, Bad, and Ugly

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 We have been talking, sharing and writing about RoundUp’s active ingredient, glyphosate, for several years. So what is the latest on RoundUp and glyphosate-based herbicides? Is glyphosate use diminishing? Are we finding less of it in our water, soil and food? There are some good, bad and ugly things happening with glyphosate and we want to continue to keep you up-to-date and informed until we get this poison banned.

I believe glyphosate is greatly responsible for the declining health in this country and there is so much evidence to prove this.

Good News

The first Roundup cancer trial resulted in a jury verdict of $289 million in damages against Monsanto, though a judge later lowered that to $78 million. The second such trial ended last month with a jury verdict of $80.2 million against Monsanto. The third trial is now underway. There are over 11,000 people suing Monsanto alleging glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Monsanto has hidden the risks and manipulated the scientific record. These victories have created an onslaught of bad news for Monsanto, now Bayer, and has caused Bayer’s stock to go down and raised more questions about the safety of this herbicide. To find out more about lawsuits against Monsanto, you can go to Consumer Safety.

After the news of the latest trial, Vietnam acts to ban the cancer-causing herbicide. They are not unfamiliar with Monsanto’s tactics of covering up the evidence about its products like they did with Agent Orange and are making this bold move to ban glyphosate’s use in their country.

Several cities are banning or have restrictive use of glyphosate near parks, schools and playgrounds and that list is growing! To find out more about how you can get RoundUp banned in your city, go here. The City of Portland’s pesticide ordinance that bans synthetic pesticides use on lawns, gardens, landscaped areas, patios, sidewalks, driveways, parks and playing fields has gone into effect. Only organic treatments can be used to beat back weeds and insects such as grubs. Now that is some great news!!

Thirty nine (39) countries worldwide have officially banned the cultivation of GM crops and only 28 actually grow GM crops (most of which grow under 500 thousand hectares). The picture painted by the Biotech industry and the U.S. government that GM crops and their associated herbicide, glyphosate, have been accepted by the majority of countries worldwide is therefore not true!

Blue Water Navy veterans and surviving spouses: Act now to claim presumptive conditions

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On Jan. 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit extended the presumption of exposure to herbicides to cover veterans who served in the territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam. The definition of “served in the Republic of Vietnam” now extends to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam. On March 26, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs decided not to appeal the ruling and took action to begin processing claims within this mandate, according to a press release sent out by the York County public information office.

There could be as many as 3,000 veterans and surviving spouses in York County who could be affected by this landmark court ruling. The presumptive conditions for exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam are:

Diabetes mellitus type 2

Prostate cancer

Respiratory cancers

Hodgkin disease

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Ischemic heart disease including coronary artery disease

Chronic b-cell leukemia

Chloracne

AL amyloidosis

Multiple myeloma

Parkinson’s disease

Peripheral neuropathy (early onset)

Soft tissue sarcoma

If you are a Navy or Marine veteran who served at sea in the territorial waters of Vietnam during the Vietnam War and have one or more of these presumptive conditions, or if you are a surviving spouse of a Navy or Marine veteran who died with one of these conditions as a primary or contributing cause of death, please call your County Department of Veterans Affairs officer.

You can't blame the military for your fat ass, according to a new VA ruling

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Obesity cannot be considered a service-connected disability, according to a new ruling by the Department of Veterans Affairs General Counsel expected to be published in the April 8, 2019, edition of the Federal Register.

The new ruling, among several precedent opinions set to be included, reinforces the VA's long-standing opinion that obesity isn't a disease or injury according to the law for wartime or peacetime compensation and can't be considered directly related to military service for compensation purposes.

So why does the VA reject obesity as a service-connected disability if Medicare covers obesity treatment and the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health both say obesity is a disease?

While the VA treats obesity as a disease for which treatment is warranted, the distinction is in the words "service-connected." The VA simply does not see it as a condition that was a result of military service, and therefore for which compensation is payable.

The VA estimates that 78% of veterans are obese, and it does offer several treatment programs for obese vets.

How Ex-congressman Jeff Miller is Single-handedly Shaping the Push to Privatize VA Healthcare

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The Indian Treaty Room is a grand two-story meeting space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, with French and Italian marble wall panels, a pattern of stars on the ceiling and the image of a compass worked into the tiled floor. Over the years, it has hosted signing ceremonies for historic foreign policy pacts such as the Bretton Woods agreement and the United Nations Charter.

On Nov. 16, 2017, it hosted a different kind of gathering: an intimate meeting called by the White House to discuss the future of the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the 10 months since Donald Trump had taken office, his administration had been pushing a bold and controversial agenda to privatize more of the VA’s services.

The Trump administration’s ambitions are well documented. But what has not been publicly revealed until now is the extent to which the VA – a sprawling agency with a $180 billion annual budget that includes the nation’s single largest health care system, a network of cemeteries and a massive bureaucracy that administers the GI Bill and disability compensation for wounded veterans – has become a massive feeding trough for the lobbying industry.  

e-mail obtained through FOIA request

The VA’s then secretary, David Shulkin, was at the previously undisclosed meeting, along with a contingent of conservative thinkers on veterans policy, including current and former members of Concerned Veterans for America, known as CVA, an advocacy network largely backed by conservative donors Charles and David Koch. Also present were “Fox & Friends” host Pete Hegseth, a former CVA executive repeatedly floated to be Trump’s pick for VA secretary, and David Urban, a right-leaning CNN commentator who served as a senior adviser on the Trump campaign.

During an intimate November 2017 meeting called by the White House, attendees drafted a strategy to “echo/amplify” President Donald Trump’s “priorities/initiatives” for accelerating the privatization process at the VA.

According to emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the group drafted a strategy to “echo/amplify” Trump’s “priorities/initiatives” for accelerating the privatization process. According to three people who were there, the participants discussed how best to respond to expected resistance from traditional veterans advocates, who historically have opposed privatizing key agency services. Representatives from “the Big Six” major veterans organizations, including the American Legion and Veterans for Foreign Wars, were not invited.

But it was the presence of the most powerful lobbyist for the companies now trying to get a piece of the VA’s budget – a tan, affable Floridian named Jeff Miller – that would have raised the most eyebrows, had his attendance been known at the time.

Kildee, Stabenow, Peters Introduce Legislation Ensuring Health Care for Veterans Harmed By PFAS Chemicals

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April 4, 2019 Press Release

Legislation Requires Department of Veterans’ Affairs to Cover Health Conditions Linked to PFAS Chemical Contamination on Military Bases

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and members of the PFAS Task Force today introduced legislation to ensure that veterans and their families exposed to toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals at military installations get the health care services and benefits they need through the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA).

The Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act (VET PFAS Act) would require the VA to cover treatment for any health condition found to be associated with exposure to PFAS exposure. Under this bill, illnesses connected to PFAS exposure will also be considered a service-connected disability, making veterans exposed to PFAS eligible for disability payments and medical treatment from the VA.

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Vermont Senate approves military burn pit awareness bill

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The Vermont Senate approved a measure Thursday to raise awareness about the health hazards military personnel suffer from exposure to open burn pits while serving overseas.

A 30-0 vote came after the bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Jeanette White, cried and stopped several times as she recounted to senators the emotional testimony her committee had heard.

White spoke haltingly as she recalled the words of June Heston, the widow of Brig. Gen. Mike Heston, who died of cancer last November, and retired Sgt. Wesley Black, a 33-year-old fighting colon cancer who described himself as a “dead man walking.” Both served overseas on deployments where burn pits were used to dispose of a variety of refuse, ignited with jet fuel.

White, D-Windham, the chair of Senate Government Operations, said she didn’t want to get emotional laying out the reasons for S. 111, “but our meetings were anything but.”

 “I do apologize,” White said after stopping her presentation to regroup. “I didn’t think I’d do this.” She was reassured by presiding officer Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman.

The toxins from the fumes, White said, pervade the body.

 “It is in their skin, their lungs, their eyes, their whole body. It has become a part of them,” White said.

She said she was oblivious to the issue until told about Heston in December.

“In my 16 years in the Senate, there have been many issues that have been emotional and passionate. But in all those years, this is the one that makes me really angry and really sad,” White said.

Vietnam on cusp of glyphosate ban

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THE WORLD agriculture sector is bracing for Vietnam to implement a full ban on the herbicide glyphosate.

Last month Vietnamese government officials announced a ban on glyphosate imports, which is normally seen as a precursor to a full ban.

There has been speculation a full ban could be announced as early as the next week, however there is furious negotiation from international parties unhappy with the potential ban.

Vietnamese agriculture minister Nguyễn Xuân Cường has been a strong supporter of further regulation of chemical use in the south-east Asian nation.

The Vietnamese chemical regulator has declared glyphosate safe for use, but it does not appear to be swaying the government.

Chemical use is a controversial subject in Vietnam with the memories of the damage caused by Agent Orange, a dioxin-based product, in the Vietnam War still painful for many, with a report from 2017 saying over three million Vietnamese people are still affected by Agent Orange / dioxin.

Official Vietnamese news agencies reported the decision to ban glyphosate imports was made following a US court ruling that glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide was responsible for a man's cancer.

The court ruling was the second to decide there was a link between glyphosate and cancer, but the crop protection sector has argued the decisions should not be taken as a de facto ruling on glyphosate safety as the decision making juries do not have a scientific background.

Australia is keenly monitoring the situation in Vietnam, as it could have major repercussions on trade.

Justice Dept. Faces Pressure to Resist Appealing Vietnam Vets' Landmark Victory

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Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans recently won the support of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie for a court ruling that could make tens of thousands of former service members and their survivors eligible for benefits stemming from exposure to Agent Orange decades ago. But now they are awaiting the Trump administration’s decision whether to challenge the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Justice Department’s solicitor general’s office is weighing a challenge to the court ruling, issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Any decision to appeal the court ruling would put the Trump administration at odds with Vietnam veterans—and the head of the Veterans Affairs office. The benefits have been estimated to cost Veterans Affairs more than $1 billion over 10 years.

The so-called “blue water” Navy vets served in the territorial waters offshore of the Republic of Vietnam. Until the Jan. 29 ruling by the full Federal Circuit, those veterans had been denied the presumption of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. The Justice Department, supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs’s interpretation, had argued that the Agent Orange Act covered only those veterans who served on the ground or inland waterways of Vietnam.

Agent Orange lawsuit ready for federal court

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EGLIN AFB — A local attorney and the attorney who argued the case of Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange that led to a $180 million settlement in 1984 — the largest settlement of its kind at the time — are joining forces on behalf of civilian workers exposed to the chemical compound on Eglin Air Force Base ranges in the 1960s.

The two attorneys have drafted a complaint, but have not yet filed it in federal court, according to Santa Rosa Beach attorney Rusty Sanders. Sanders was approached some months ago by civilian workers for defense contractor Vitro Corporation, which was involved in applications of Agent Orange on the Eglin ranges.

Sanders subsequently brought in Upstate New York attorney Victor Yannacone, who took the Vietnam veterans’ case and in the process, became an expert on Agent Orange.

The civilian workers’ case “is the same thing all over again,” Yannacone said Monday. One thing that’s different this time around, though, is that the 200-page potential court filing includes documentation indicating that manufacturers of Agent Orange knew that it was dangerous to humans, Yannacone said.

According to Yannacone and Sanders, the potential filing targets those manufacturers, including Monsanto, Dow, Diamond Shamrock and others, along with contractors including the successor company to Vitro Corporation.

Their effort is hampered, however, both men say, by a lack of resources. When the lawsuit is filed, Yannacone said, he and Sanders will be lined up against “seven major corporate law firms, and seven major corporations.”

Burn Pits: Lawmakers working to make life easier for veterans suffering from exposure

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There is some good news for veterans suffering from illnesses from their deployments to Southwest Asia: Some members of Congress are taking notice and working to get them and their families the assistance they need.

While the bills still need to pass the full Congress before being signed into law by the president, congressmen such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, say broad support from both the Republican and Democratic parties on behalf of the nation’s veterans is offering some measure of hope for the future.

Castro is currently sponsoring two bills: H.R. 1001, Family Member Access to Burn Pit Registry Act and H.R. 1005, Burn Pit Veterans Revision Act.

H.R. 1001 would allow family members of service members who have died from illnesses and cancers believed to be linked to exposure to the trash-burning pits to update the Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pits Registry with their service member’s death and cause.

H.R. 1005 would allow for constrictive bronchiolitis to be considered presumed as service connected to exposure to open burn pits while deployed by the VA for care and benefits.

More than 3.7 million active-duty service members and veterans have been exposed to the toxic smoke from trash burning pits while serving in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan during the War on Terror, and many of them are getting sick with illnesses and cancers they can’t explain.

Burn pits were used to destroy plastics, batteries, medical waste, ammunition and everything in between. They were a common way to get rid of waste and helped ensure some items — such as military uniforms and items that could potentially be used against military troops — did not fall into enemy hands. Burn pits have been in use in Southwest Asia since August 1990 at the beginning of Operation Desert Shield and used throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, is also working on the issues.

“As the top Republican on the VA Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ve been working to address burn pit issues through the appropriations process, including providing $10 million for burn-pit related research in the last year. I anticipate that additional funding will be made available in the FY20 legislation for research too,” Carter said in an email.

“The Burn Pit Registration is a critical tool for researchers and it’s imperative to track veterans that are experiencing symptoms linked to burn pits. As the bill stands, I would vote for the Family Member Access to Burn Pit Registry Act, to give family member’s the ability to participate in the registry on behalf of a deceased veteran. The more research we have access to, the better we can address this issue,” Carter said.

Volatile pesticide to be sprayed on soybeans and cotton this season

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A volatile weed killer linked to cancer and endocrine issues will likely be sprayed on millions more acres of soybeans and cotton across the Midwest and South starting this year.

In January, China approved imports of a new genetically modified soybean variety – Enlist E3 soybeans  jointly made by Corteva Agriscience, a division of DowDupont and seed company MS Technologies– that can withstand the herbicide 2,4-D.

“This is great news for U.S. soybean growers,” said Joseph Merschman, president of MS Technologies in a February press release. “This announcement clears the way for even more soybean growers to experience the high-yielding elite genetics and exceptional weed control offered by the Enlist E3™ soybean system.”

DowAgrosciences declined to comment for this story.

The herbicide – 2,4-D – was one of the active ingredients in Agent Orange and has been shown to drift miles away from where it’s applied. The U.S. used Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to eliminate crops and forest covers for enemy troops.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer named the weed killer a possible human carcinogen. Studies have also linked 2,4-D to endocrine disruption, disturbing estrogen, androgen and thyroid hormones.

Over the past two decades, a growing number of weeds have become resistant to glyphosate, the most popular weed killer in the world, sold as Monsanto’s Roundup.

Vietnam points to US court verdict, demands Agent Orange compensation from Monsanto

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Vietnam's Foreign Ministry has called attention to the link between a recent U.S. judicial verdict against Monsanto and dioxin victims in Vietnam.

The ministry's spokeswoman, Le Thi Thu Hang, stressed in a statement on Thursday that the March 19 verdict by a San Francisco jury is yet more evidence that weedicides could cause direct damage to the human body.

In the judgment, the court concluded that exposure to the agrochemical giant Monsanto's weed killer Roundup was a "substantial factor" in giving Edwin Hardeman, 70, of California non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and ordered the firm to pay him nearly $81 million in damages, compensation and medical expenses.

"As a nation that had suffered the heavy consequences of war, including Agent Orange, Vietnam demands that the companies that had provided the U.S. military with defoliants during the war must have the responsibility to help and assist in overcoming the damage caused by Agent Orange to Vietnam's people and environment," Hang said.

She also welcomed the U.S. Congress and government for assisting in resolving the consequences of war in Vietnam, saying this is widely supported by the people of both countries.

Hang said Vietnam wishes for these efforts to be continued with the participation of the companies responsible, including Monsanto.

Founded in 1901 in Missouri, Monsanto began producing agrochemicals in the 1940s. It was acquired by Bayer for more than $62 billion last June.