Today, Bayer announces it has reached a formal agreement on a plan to manage and resolve future cases involving Roundup.
Attorneys representing plaintiffs in the case filed a motion for preliminary approval of the agreement.
As part of the deal, the company would pay up to $2 billion to support claims and programs covered by the plan.
In the announcement, the company said: “The class plan is intended to be one part of a holistic solution designed to provide further closure to the Monsanto Roundup litigation.”
Here are additional elements of the plan:
- the establishment of a fund to compensate qualified claimants during an initial four-year program
- an advisory science panel whose findings would not be preclusive but can be used as evidence in potential future litigation involving class members
- a robust notice program
- research and diagnostic programs that were part of the original class agreement
Bayer is also pursuing permission with the EPA to add a reference link (with access to scientific studies and information that the company has permission to disclose or are in the public domain) on product labels for glyphosate-based products.
“Today’s announcement has no impact on the availability of Roundup, an important tool for growers around the world,” the company said in a statement to AgWeb.
The agreement was filed with Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, who is the same judge overseeing the original Roundup litigation. The filing will now be reviewed by the court.
