Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Pesticides and agrochemicals · United States · 2026

US Supreme Court blocks state cancer-warning suits against pesticide makers

Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.

Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
  • The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
What the record lacks: 2 none on record · 4 insufficient · 1 not measured · 1 disputed See the gaps

The 7–2 ruling of 25 June 2026 held that federal pesticide law stops states from requiring cancer warnings the EPA has not approved. The court did not decide whether glyphosate causes cancer.

What?
The US Supreme Court held 7–2 that FIFRA preempts state failure-to-warn suits seeking a cancer warning absent from the EPA-approved label. Faegre Drinker
Where?
Washington, D.C. (the Supreme Court), with the consolidated federal cases in Illinois Faegre Drinker
When?
Ruling on 25 June 2026; EPA's paraquat review was announced on 17 January 2025 Faegre Drinker
Who?
Gained
  • Monsanto — State failure-to-warn suits seeking a cancer warning off the EPA-approved label are barred Faegre Drinker
Lost
  • Plaintiffs in state failure-to-warn suits — Claims for a warning beyond the EPA-approved label are barred Faegre Drinker
Harmed
None on record
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
The Court held that federal labelling rules override a state-law duty to add a warning the EPA did not approve. Faegre Drinker
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

On 25 June 2026 the US Supreme Court ruled 7–2 that the federal pesticide law (FIFRA) bars state suits demanding a cancer warning that is not on the EPA-approved label (Faegre Drinker, June 2026).

The court did not decide whether glyphosate causes cancer, and the US Justice Department supported Monsanto (Wikipedia, Roundup article).

EPA said on 17 January 2025 that it wanted to withdraw its 2021 paraquat decision and asked for more data; plaintiffs said they could not wait four more years.

Syngenta said on 3 March 2026 that it would stop producing Gramoxone, its paraquat herbicide, by 30 June and end sales by 31 December 2026.

    In court and with insurers

    Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

    Lawsuits and rulings

    1. 2026-06-25Defendant won
      Monsanto v. Durnell
      US Supreme Court · Civil · Plaintiff in a state failure-to-warn suit (private individual) → Monsanto

      The Court ruled 7–2 that federal pesticide law preempts state failure-to-warn claims seeking a cancer warning not on the EPA-approved label. Faegre Drinker

    Insurers

    No insurer decision on record.

    What we don't know

    Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

    Nature

    • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

    Record

    • Disputed The 1.25 million dollar award to the plaintiff was reported as set aside, but the source grades for this figure conflict, so it is not stated as fact.
    • Insufficient Reported but not verified: Bayer agreed a 7.25 billion dollar class settlement that received preliminary approval in March 2026 (marked H).
    • Insufficient Reported but not verified: Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 for about 63 billion dollars (marked H).
    • Insufficient Reported but not verified: a judge threatened a plaintiffs' lawyer with sanctions in October 2025 (marked H).
    • Insufficient Reported but not verified: California's paraquat registration was cancelled in April 2026 (marked H).
    • None on record The sources reviewed do not say how the ruling affects paraquat suits.
    • None on record The summary rests on a law firm's note and an encyclopedia entry; the opinion itself was not reviewed.

    Did the harm stop?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Who paid?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Sources

    Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

    Press and investigations

    2. Roundup (herbicide)
      Wikipedia ·

    Connected cases

    Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
    Terms used on this page

    Institutions

    EPA
    The US Environmental Protection Agency.

    Law and courts

    Class action
    A single lawsuit brought on behalf of a large group of people with similar claims.
    Punitive damages
    Money a court orders a defendant to pay to punish especially reckless conduct, on top of compensation for losses. Mainly used in US courts.

    Science and environment

    PFOA (C8) and PFAS
    PFAS are a large family of human-made chemicals that persist in the environment and the body; PFOA, also called C8, is one of them and was used to make Teflon.