Fort Myers Beach considers ban of Roundup herbicide chemical

The town of Fort Myers beach is concerned a popular herbicide is having negative effects on public health and a cause for water quality concerns. The town also fears the active ingredient (glyphosate) is a cancer-causing agent.

Fort Myers Beach Town Council will consider banning the active ingredient in Roundup weed killer products at its meeting Monday.

“I had a couple houses in Pennsylvania, and I used to use Roundup,” Jack Quijano said. “And then one day, I started reading the items that were in the Roundup … I had to switch. It’s too many chemicals.”

Many cities and towns in more than two dozen countries have already banned or restricted the use of glyphosate.

Monsanto, the company responsible for the creation of Roundup, has been sued by many, and the company has been forced to give up billions to those who have filed lawsuits against the herbicide manufacture.

RELATED: Jury: Monsanto to pay $2 billion in weed killer cancer case

“I would never use it,” Douglas Budd said. “I would go with something that’s organic.”

Budd was visiting Fort Myers Beach from Connecticut looking to buy a condo on the island. He told us the chemical in Roundup should be banned.

“I think they should be able to if it’s poison, right?” Budd said. “For the health of everybody.”

Town Manager Roger Hernstadt said he doesn’t know if the measure will pass and did not want to give a full interview.

A question being asked is how this ban would be enforced if it passed.

“They’d have to ban it from selling it,” Budd said. “They would have to ban the use of it. I don’t know how hard that would be.”

RELATED: Southwest Florida Dentist among thousands who claim weedkiller caused cancer