By Kim Jarrett, The Center Square

Weed killer or possible carcinogen? The attorneys general of Iowa and Nebraska say glyphosate, an ingredient used widely in pesticides, is safe.

But California officials want to label pesticides with glyphosate as carcinogens. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said the state is relying on bad science.

The Environmental Protection Agency has said glyphosate is not a carcinogen, the attorneys general said. They are asking the EPA to ban states from attaching labels contrary to EPA findings.

The agency said in a court finding in a 2019 case that glyphosate was not harmful, the attorneys general, including Montana’s Austin Knudsen, said in their petition.

“The potential that glyphosate is carcinogenic to humans is not something that EPA has ignored. EPA has studied and expressly addressed the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate a number of times over the past three decades,” the petition quotes the U.S. as saying. “And EPA continues to assess it. Through FIFRA (the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act), Congress determined that EPA should make these scientific judgments for the nation as a whole. States may, of course, restrict or prohibit the sale or use of pesticides in the State if they disagree with EPA’s assessment. But States are prohibited from second-guessing EPA’s determination of what risks should be reflected on pesticide labeling.”

California should not “dictate” how farmers in other states farm, the attorneys general said.

“If adopted, our proposed rule would streamline the labeling process, dispel consumer confusion, and ensure that those who help put food on our tables can do their jobs without getting caught up in the red tape of 50 separate states,” Hilgers said. Our proposed rule advances the rule of law and lifts a burden on the farming industry that drives Nebraska’s economy.”

Nebraska and Iowa are considered top agricultural states. The two states have more than 131,000 farms and ranches bombined spanning across nearly 70 million acres, according to a news release. Both states are also top corn producers, yielding more than 4.2 billion bushels last year.

“Farmers are the backbone of the Heartland,” Bird said. “I will not stand by as California ignores science, breaks the law, and dictates how Iowa farmers farm. Glyphosate helps our farmers control weeds and produce higher-yielding crops to feed our families.”

Glyphosate kills more than 300 weeds. Kevin Ross, an Iowa farmer and former president of the National Corn Growers Association said there is nothing else more effective.

“Do your job in D.C. and let the farmers on the ground do their jobs in the U.S.,” Ross said.

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Carolina and South Dakota also signed the petition.