The Monsanto Company is taking up legal action against California's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The state's EPA branch, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), has vowed to add glyphosate, a key herbicidal ingredient in Monsanto's weed-killing product, Roundup, to its list of cancer-causing chemicals.

Glyphosate's possible addition to the list of chemicals known to cause cancer would require Monsanto to add warning labels onto the product, declaring its potential harm.

The re-labeling of the Monsanto weed killer primarily impacts its biggest users, such as landscapers, gold course managers, orchard curators, vineyard operators, and farmers.

The list of dangerous chemicals was first created through California's enactment of Proposition 65, the 1986 act that monitors and enforces potable levels in the state's drinking water.

The move has prompted Monsanto to respond with a suit against the OEHHA, delaying the designation until July 7.

OEHHA officials have declared their commitment to proceed with the labelling of Roundup as a carcinogenic product once the case is settled.

Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity stated in an interview with Reuters, "California's decision makes it the national leader in protecting people from cancer-causing pesticides."

Related