Vermont could become the first state in the U.S. to ban paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide that studies have linked to Parkinson’s disease, after the state Senate greenlit H.739 on Thursday. The House approved a slightly different version of the bill in March.
As passed out of the Senate, the legislation would ban all use and sale of the herbicide after 2030 in Vermont. Farmers would be able to use paraquat until then, but only with special permission from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.
Paraquat is in active use in Vermont, although relatively sparingly, particularly by orchardists. Only 125 gallons of the herbicide were sold in the state last year, according to state data. But those farmers who use paraquat argued vehemently against its ban, and said they already used the chemical in highly-controlled circumstances.
Windsor County Sen. Joe Major, a Democrat, told his colleagues on the Senate floor this week that the legislation represented a “measured approach.”
It “represents a significant policy change toward restricting the use of a highly hazardous herbicide while recognizing limited, short-term agricultural needs,” he said.
Over 70 countries have banned paraquat over safety concerns, including the European Union, Brazil and China. But many of those same countries still manufacture paraquat — and export it for use abroad, including in the U.S., where the cheap and effective weed-killer remains popular.
A coalition of health and environmental groups are behind a nationwide push to ban paraquat in the U.S., and efforts are now underway in a dozen states to ban or restrict the herbicide. One advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group, called H.739 “landmark legislation” in a statement this week.
“If signed into law, this bill will prevent needless exposure to a chemical tied to a devastating disease and set a powerful precedent for states across the country to follow,” wrote the group’s legislative director Geoff Horsfield.
Experts believe both genetics and environmental factors contribute to Parkinson’s disease. And while it has not yet been definitively shown that paraquat causes the neurodegenerative disease, a growing body of evidence has linked exposure to the chemical to Parkinson’s, as well as other health conditions.
The herbicide’s makers have continued to maintain the science tying their product to Parkinson’s is not conclusive. But Syngenta, one manufacturer which is facing thousands of lawsuits over paraquat, announced earlier this year it would stop producing the weed killer.
An estimated 2,500 Vermonters currently live with Parkinson’s, the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world.
If the House concurs with the Senate’s changes, the legislation will head to Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. It’s unknown if Scott will sign the bill, although he has not registered opposition to it.
“This isn’t a bill we’ve been tracking closely but will do our due diligence in reviewing it when it reaches the Governor’s desk,” his press secretary, Amanda Wheeler, wrote in an email.
