Letters for Feb. 9, 2016

Letters for Feb. 9, 2016

Glyphosate is evaluated by EPA, agencies

As a pediatrician, a father, and a Monsanto employee, nothing is more important to me than the safety of the products we sell, and it’s unfortunate when incorrect and misleading information is circulated, including in recent letters to The Garden Island (1/24/16 and 2/4/16), about the herbicide glyphosate.

Our products, including glyphosate-based herbicides, are designed to help farmers produce food in a more sustainable way, and to help homeowners, businesses and agencies control unwanted weeds in their yards, roadways, parks and other areas they’d like to protect.

Like other herbicides on the market, glyphosate is carefully evaluated by the U.S. EPA and numerous other regulatory agencies around the world, and more than 30 years of independent scientific evaluations support its safety for people and the environment when used properly. Contrary to unsubstantiated claims, often promoted by groups with political aims, it does not cause a litany of health harms.

Part of my responsibility at Monsanto is to personally review the safety data on every product we offer to determine that the product can be used safely according to label instructions. That’s a responsibility I take extremely seriously, and I am very proud of our commitment to product safety.

For anyone with a question about glyphosate, I encourage you to please take the time to learn more — about how it works and how it’s reviewed for safety — based on accurate, scientifically credible information. You can find links to peer-reviewed, third party studies and governmental review documents at www.monsanto.com/glyphosate.

Daniel Goldstein

Montanto’s Science Affairs Lead and Associate Medical Director

St. Louis

More accountability needed on budget

I totally am against the thought of again raising taxes on gas and car registration for the so-called usage to repair roads and increase public transportation.

Every year my car registration has increased, as again it has for 2016, up now to $183, next year what, $220? To say that people who drive on the roads are not paying their fair share to help repair the roads is a crock.

Since raising the taxes on car registration each and every year, tell me, where did that money go? Who was/is responsible to make sure that money was budgeted correctly, so who did not, is not doing their job and tracking the budget and where the money is going?

Is that not part of the job description of a councilor and mayor, or am I wrong?

Paul DeRocle

Koloa