Health Canada 'dead wrong' to OK weedkiller glyphosate, American lawyers say

New this year, the province has banned lawn care companies from using chemical pesticides. Instead, companies will now rely on a weed-killer called Fiesta, an eco-friendly alternative.

OTTAWA -- American lawyers who successfully sued the makers of the glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup on behalf of a man dying of cancer say Canada is "dead wrong" to allow it to be widely used here.

Los Angeles-based lawyers Michael Baum and Brent Wisner were part of the team that secured a multi-million-dollar verdict against Bayer AG on behalf of a former groundskeeper who believes his terminal cancer is a result of years of exposure to the herbicide glyphosate in Roundup.

The two are in Canada meeting with environment groups and scientists to assess whether legal action is warranted and possible in this country.

Health Canada and Bayer AG say no pest management regulators anywhere in the world believe glyphosate causes cancer at the levels Canadians are exposed to it.

Wisner says independent science proves the chemical causes cancer and says governments are turning a blind eye to it much like they did for years to concerns about tobacco and asbestos.

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency recently approved use of glyphosate for another 15 years after despite concerns that Monsanto influenced the scientific studies used to make the decision.