Bayer To Appeal Glyphosate Ruling

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Bayer To Appeal Glyphosate Ruling: Bayer shares continued to fall on Tuesday after a California jury on Monday awarded more than $2 billion in damages to a couple who alleged that the company’s glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup caused their cancers.

The third successive loss by Bayer in US courts and highest award to date by a jury after finding glyphosate to be carcinogenic highlights the legal risks and mounting cost to the company of the burgeoning litigation it faces over its widely-used herbicide.

Bayer To Appeal Glyphosate Ruling

Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto for $63 billion last year, denies the allegations, saying decades of studies and regulatory approvals have shown glyphosate and Roundup to be safe for human use.

But the company faces more than 13,400 similar US lawsuits and shareholders have rebuked Bayer’s top management over its handling of the Monsanto acquisition and the litigation it inherited. Adverse jury verdicts have wiped more than 40% from Bayer’s market value since August.

Bayer on Tuesday said the litigation will take some time to conclude as no case has been subject to appellate review to assess key legal rulings in the trials. The company has vowed to appeal or already has appealed the verdicts.

The following is a summary of upcoming dates in the US glyphosate litigation:

– The first Roundup jury verdict, a $289 million award in San Francisco state court last August, later reduced to $78 million, is currently on appeal before California’s Court of Appeals, First Appellate District. Bayer in late April asked the appeals court to throw out the judgment, saying there was “no evidence” glyphosate could cause cancer.

Plaintiffs and Bayer will file additional briefs over the next few months and oral arguments in the case are unlikely before the second half of 2019, with a decision likely in the fourth quarter at the earliest.

– Bayer is still waiting for US District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco, who oversaw the first federal Roundup trial, to enter final judgment of an $80 million verdict in March. Following that formal legal step, the company has 28 days to ask the judge in post-trial motions to reverse the verdict or order a new trial.

The case before Chhabria was unique for its structure, limiting the amount of evidence the plaintiff could present in a first trial phase. Bayer had hoped the trial structure would focus jurors on the strong scientific evidence showing Roundup to be safe rather than on company actions or behavior. The jury decision against Bayer upended that strategy.

– Bayer said it will appeal Monday’s $2 billion jury verdict in Alameda County state court in Oakland, California. In a first step, the company is expected to ask Superior Court Judge Winifred Smith, who oversaw the trial, to reverse the verdict or order a new trial.

Smith is likely to reduce the massive award as rulings by the US Supreme Court limit the ratio of punitive to compensatory damages to 9:1. The jury awarded a total of $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages.

– The next glyphosate trial is scheduled in Missouri state court on Aug. 19, the first such trial outside of California. The trial, involving a single plaintiff, will take place in St. Louis County, where Monsanto’s former headquarters and research facilities are located.

– Another federal trial could take place before US District Judge Chhabria in August or September. Chhabria currently oversees some 900 federal cases consolidated before him. The trial would mark the second bellwether, or test trial, to help determine the range of damages and define settlement options for federal cases.

Chhabria in April ordered Bayer to pursue mediation with the plaintiffs and said he will determine which cases should be dismissed or sent to other courts for further proceedings. He scheduled a status conference for May 22.

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Montrose Invest In The Future

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Montrose Invest In The Future: Montrose Golf Links has announced details of one of the largest investments ever made in the celebrated east coast course. Completed earlier this year, the new, far-reaching irrigation project will enable significant improvements to be made across the links and coincides with Montrose receiving the most comprehensive sustainability award in golf.

The new automated irrigation system addresses a swathe of issues that have affected the presentation of the course, which twice hosted Final Qualifying for the Open Championship. It replaces the previous system that had been in situ for more than 30 years and suffered from insufficient pressure, poor and uneven water coverage and limited irrigation options.

Montrose Invest In The Future

“The new irrigation system is a significant improvement on what we had before,” said Jason Boyd, PGA professional and operations manager at Montrose Golf Links. “It addresses a lot of on-course issues and will enable our greenkeeping team to present the 1562 course like never before. This is a massive investment that will have a huge impact on golf at Montrose.”

The introduction of the £100,000 irrigation system follows the renaming of the world’s fifth oldest golf course in 2018. More importantly, it will free up the Montrose greenkeepers to present the 450-year course to the highest possible standards.

“Because so much time was spent hand-watering greens, the new system will have a number of knock-on effects, especially for the greenkeepers,” explained Boyd. “The time released by the new system will now be spent improving greens, tees, fairways and approaches as well as focussing on smaller, detailed jobs that are so important.”

Although largely unaltered, the classic Scottish links at Montrose has been adapted and tweaked by the likes of Willie Park Jr, Old Tom Morris and Harry Colt. With a run of seven spectacular cliff-face holes, it has also become a destination course for many visitors to Scotland and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most natural links.

According to Darren McLaughlan, head greenkeeper at Montrose, the addition of the new irrigation system is hugely significant. “The need for a fully functioning irrigation system was overwhelming,” he says. “The new system will not only allow greenstaff to concentrate on course improvements while reducing disruption to play, it will also provide the foundation for producing true and consistent putting conditions and a more sustainable approach due to using less water.”

Towards the end of 2018, Montrose Golf Links was awarded the Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) certificate – an accreditation the club had been working towards since 2007. Mike Wood, GEO accredited verifier, highlighted a number of key strengths during Montrose’s verification process. These included “committed ecological stewardship of an authentic setting of duneland topography and landcover, within which the high-quality playing surfaces harmoniously fit”.

McLaughlan, who has a wealth of links golf experience after holding the position of course manager at Machrihanish Golf Club, says the new irrigation system ties in perfectly with the new CEO certified status at Montrose. “We are committed to delivering a world-class golfing experience that is sympathetic to the surrounding environment and spectacular coastline,” he said. “Montrose is a special place full of history and outstanding golf holes. We want people to enjoy Montrose, but we want to achieve that responsibly. This latest investment in the infrastructure that supports the course will help us do just that.”

The Medal course was renamed The 1562 Course during the 2018 season and is the fifth oldest golf course in the world. It has hosted a number of prestigious tournaments including the World Hickory Open (2013); The Europro Tour (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) and Final Qualifying for the Senior Open Championship held at Carnoustie (2016).

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Trime To Support Water Aid

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Trime To Support Water Aid: Trime UK, the manufacturer and supplier of advanced wash bay systems are delighted to announce that will be supporting the charity Water Aid.

Paul Hay, managing director of Trime UK explains, “Since becoming established in 2016, we have been looking to support a charity that has compatible aims with our own. As the X-SPLASH wash bay system is designed to limit the amount of water it uses through its’ recycling system, we came to a natural conclusion to approach the leading water conversation charity, Water Aid.”

Trime To Support Water Aid

Trime UK has undertaken to make regular donations to Water Aid, based around the number of X-SPLASH systems installed in the UK. There are upwards of one hundred X-SPLASH units currently in operation throughout the country.

Trime UK have a large advance order book for all of the four X-SPLASH systems. In particular, they have repeat orders from a national equipment hire firm to install X-SPLASH wash bays into all of their depots. In addition, a separate tool hire firm has given Trime the go ahead to replace all their old wash bays with the new X-SPLASH system. This could result several hundreds of pounds being donated to Water Aid.

The X-SPLASH is an ecological, flexible cleaning system for plant and machinery. The system prevents soil pollution and contamination of drains, from oil, grease, and similar chemical contaminants.  It has an inbuilt recycling process to ensure that all the water is contained and reused. The filtering system that also ensures no contaminates are discharged accidently, resulting in an overall water usage reduction. The X-SPLASH is relocatable and features a modular section drainage base with a micro-switch in the rear solids collection tank set to activate the drainage pump when the water reaches a pre-set level.

Water Aid is a globally operating charity with a strategy to make water, toilets and hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere. Their mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Trime UK Limited is an environmentally conscious company that supplies many of the leading UK firms with eco-sensitive LED site lighting equipment. The Trime Group is regarded as one of the leading suppliers of powered LED lighting sets to the worldwide construction and event markets. The company is now extending its line of equipment to encompass a range of environmentally sustainable equipment built specifically for industry. The X-SPLASH is their flagship product in this expanding range.

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BLEC Host Press Update Event

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BLEC Host Press Update Event: Three years on since the announcement was made that BLEC was to become a division of the Redexim Group, the press were recently invited to an update event at BLEC dealer Acorn Tractors in Derby. Hosted by Division Manager Curtis Allen, they heard in more detail how the new and enhanced range of specialist landscaping and turfcare equipment is creating quite a stir.

A busy few years under the guidance of the Redexim Group has seen the streamlining of product ranges and manufacture, along with the appointment of a network of dedicated dealers nationwide. Amongst the machines shown on the day were the Blecavator, Laser Grader and Multi-Seeder where key developments were discussed. Of particular note was the number of mechanical adjustments made to the renowned Laser Grader range including new twin Danfoss proportional valves and heavy-duty finger tines, that both now come as standard. The all-new Power Box Rake 1800 was another highlight as the first Redexim designed and engineered addition to the BLEC offering. Whilst following the ethics of the previous versions of the PBR, this machine has been built from scratch to be the perfect tool for cultivating, earth-moving, grading and raking.

BLEC Host Press Update Event

During the presentation and subsequent working demonstrations, it was evident how machines from across the BLEC range can be used in conjunction with one another, in the process of converting bare earth into a surface ready for seeding. With a comprehensive selection of pedestrian and tractor-mounted units, each available in a variety of working widths, they’re suited to applications from landscape gardeners, golf course construction, sports pitch preparations to large-scale groundworks.

The press were also treated to a talk from Sean Goodwin, Director of Talbot Farm Landscapes and Talbot Sports Turf, and long-standing user of BLEC machinery. Sean has a vast selection of BLEC units on his machinery fleet. He adds, “The BLEC range demonstrates an understanding of what we, the commercial landscaper/sports turf contractor, really need. The build quality is one thing that has always impressed me but the new Multi-Seeder I have purchased through Redexim is even better – well engineered and attention paid to every detail. With the resources available to Redexim, the manufacturing prowess and the ability to stock a wider range of parts through their dealer network, they have the potential to take BLEC to the next level.”

BLEC Host Press Update Event

Curtis summarised, “Despite its best efforts, the rain didn’t dampen spirits on what was a fantastic opportunity to update the media on all of the improvements we have worked hard to deliver across the portfolio. We have come a long way with the range already and with further innovations in the pipeline we’re entering a very exciting period in the BLEC story. A big thank you must also go to Julian Simpson at Acorn Tractors for providing the host venue and coordinating such a positive day.”

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TS Industrie Introduce Panther 56DS

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TS Industrie Introduce Panther 56DS: When purchasing a shredder it is important to source a machine that can process a diversity of green waste material as shredding very rarely involves wood alone. Besides mainly branches in winter, in autumn a lot of leafy and wet green waste needs to be cleared, in spring you have to cope with a variety of materials, ranging from blossoms and hedge trimmings to all other kinds of damp and bulky green waste and also in the summer months the pruning of hedges generates a large amount of woody and leafy waste.

TS Industrie – leaders in Green Waste shredding technology extend their current range of Green Series Shredders with a preview of the NEW and exciting Panther 56DS SHREDDER offering more efficiency in green waste shredding.

TS Industrie Introduce Panther 56DS

The NEW GS/Panther56DS positions itself between the existing popular GS/Jaguar45DS and GS/Cobra 75DS, and is particularly suited to the needs and requirements of communities or landscape companies. The GS/Panther allows the reduction of waste volume up to 7 times compared to a conventional chipper.

Equipped with a powerful Kohler 56 HP diesel stage 5 engine with Particulate Filter, combined with a Power Mixed Rotor, a large hopper for team work and a 500mm feed belt to optimize its performance, the Panther 56DS achieves an average yield of 36m3/h, with an impressive  material diameter of up to 19cm and delivers excellent performance.

It also plays its part in the comfort of its users and the environment, with its DRI Soundproof Cowling, its CO2 reduction option, its parallelogram drawbar adjustable by a simple crank and its computerized Pilot Control System – “Swing”.

Visit the Arb Show on demonstration plot D07 where PSD Groundscare will be showcasing the TS Industrie Panther 56DS and there will also be a range of green waste shredders from Belgium manufacturer Eliet, including the popular Super Prof Max on tracks which offers a powerful; solution for those hard to reach areas.

Arb Show:

17th – 18th May 2019 – Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS

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