NEW YORK (AP) — Bayer, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, has agreed to pay $6.9 million to settle allegations by New York’s attorney general that its Monsanto unit made false and misleading claims about the safety of the weedkiller Roundup.
The sum comes on top of the billions of dollars Bayer has already paid to settle lawsuits claiming Roundup, one of the world’s most widely used herbicides, causes cancer.
The lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James focused on advertising by Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018, saying Roundup “won’t harm anything but weeds” and does not threaten the health of animal wildlife.
James said those claims breached a previous settlement New York state reached with Monsanto two decades ago, in which Monsanto agreed to stop making unsubstantiated claims regarding the safety of Roundup products containing glyphosate.
“Pesticides can cause serious harm to the health of our environment, and pose a deadly threat to wildlife, including pollinators and other species vital to agriculture,” James said in a statement. “It is essential that pesticide companies — even and especially the most powerful ones — are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly.”
Bayer, which insists that Roundup is safe to use, said it was “pleased” to resolve the litigation. The company noted that the state’s legal claim focused on advertising practices, not on health risks to humans, “and...
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