Monsanto v. Durnell: Federal Preemption, Roundup, and the Future of Pesticide Liability

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Supreme Court case Monsanto v. Durnell on pesticide liability and federal preemption.

Can states hold pesticide companies accountable — or does federal law preempt? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Patti Goldman, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice, and Cecilia Diedrich, Staff Attorney at ELI, to unpack one of the most consequential environmental law cases of the Supreme Court's current session: Monsanto v. Darnell . At its core, this case asks whether federal pesticide law — the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) — preempts state-based failure-to-warn claims, potentially shielding pesticide manufacturers like Monsanto from liability for harms caused by products like Roundup (glyphosate). With oral arguments scheduled for April 27, 2026, the stakes couldn't be higher — not just for pesticide litigation, but for the future of toxics accountability across the board. We break down the science behind pesticide risks, the role of tort litigation in driving corporate accountability and regulatory reform, and why the Court's ruling could have far-reaching implications for PFAS litigation, microplastics liability, and chemical safety regulation more broadly. We also explore how recent Supreme Court…

People in this episode

Host: Sebastian Duque Rios

Guests: Patti Goldman, Cecilia Diedrich

Topics covered

• pesticide liability
• federal preemption
• environmental law
• toxic accountability
• Supreme Court

Keywords

• Roundup
• glyphosate
• FIFRA
• tort litigation
• PFAS
• microplastics
• chemical safety

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Roundup

Books & works: People, Places, Planet, Current Trends in Toxics Litigation

Places: the United States

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