Glyphosate Useage

Summary

The requester asked about government use of glyphosate in schools and plans to monitor its use on private agricultural land. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture stated it holds no information on other departments' usage and confirmed there are currently no plans to monitor glyphosate use on private land.

Key Facts

• The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture cannot answer questions regarding glyphosate usage by other government departments.
• There are currently no plans to monitor the use of glyphosate across private agricultural land.
• The Department has no legal powers to monitor the use of pesticides.
• The Department carries out regular monitoring of waterways and the wider environment.
• Information regarding the Department's own glyphosate use was deemed reasonably accessible via a previous FOI response.
• The request was closed on 15 May 2019.

Data Disclosed

• 2019-05-10
• 2019-05-15
• 819165
• section 20
• section 8(3)(a)
• Freedom of Information Act 2015

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act (Information already reasonably accessible)
• Section 8(3)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act (Request for explanatory answer not held as information)

Original Request

With the rising lawsuits and bans around the world and courts acknowledging the carcinogenic property of glyphosate, the main synthetic compound used as a herbicide in Monsanto's 'Round Up' (particularly in the increase in cases of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other types of lymphoma cancer) are government departments using this harmful product across schools and other areas which could adversely affect the health of the general public? Also does the island have any plans to monitor the useage across wider private agricultural land? Which again has the potential to negatively impact the environment as it becomes ubiquitous and enters the food chain not just for local consumption but at a time when the island is attempting to showcase it's quality of products for export further afield.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 686576 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 819165 15 May 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 10th May 2019 and which states:

"With the rising lawsuits and bans around the world and courts acknowledging the carcinogenic property of glyphosate, the main synthetic compound used as a herbicide in Monsanto's 'Round Up' (particularly in the increase in cases of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other types of lymphoma cancer) are government departments using this harmful product across schools and other areas which could adversely affect the health of the general public? Also does the island have any plans to monitor the useage across wider private agricultural land? Which again has the potential to negatively impact the environment as it becomes ubiquitous and enters the food chain not just for local consumption but at a time when the island is attempting to showcase it's quality of products for export further afield."

Response to your request With regards to the first paragraph of your request, please refer to the link below where you will find a response to a previous request which explains the use of glyphosate within the Department. This I absolutely exempt from release again here under section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) as it is already reasonably accessible. https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/freedom-of- information-responses/ This Department cannot answer your question on behalf of other government departments. You will need to submit separate requests to other departments to you wish to know their usage. Your second paragraph requests an explanatory answer which, under section 8(3)(a) of the FoIA, the Department is not obliged to provide as it is not information that is held. I can however say that there are currently no plans to monitor the use of Glyphosate. The Department has no legal powers to monitor the use of pesticides although it carries out regular monitoring of waterways and the wider environment and regularly reacts to incidents when investigations are needed and the public may need to be protected. Please quote the reference number 819165 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely