Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
A new bill targets a popular herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease.
H.739 passed on the House floor on March 20 after spending time in the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry. The bill prohibits the use and sale of paraquat.
Paraquat — also commonly referred to as Gramoxone — is an herbicide used for weed control on many crops. It falls under the EPA’s “Restricted Use Pesticides” category, since it may only be used by those certified for application.
Studies have linked farmers who use paraquat, and those who live near where the chemical is used, to be at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease — a neurological disorder that causes loss of mobility, stiffness and cognitive impairment.
More than 1 million Americans are living with the disorder.
Paraquat contains neurotoxins that can target neurons in the brain and increase the risk of Parkinson’s, according to Zach Hardy, senior government relations officer for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, who testified on Feb. 11.
The complete ban on the weed killer would take effect on Nov. 1, 2030.
The bill would slowly phase out use of paraquat over five years. H.739 would allow farmers who currently use paraquat to get a permit to continue applying the product for three years, or until the official ban date, by registering it with the Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
“There’s a lot of places in the world where it’s a concern, yet somehow the U.S. hasn’t caught on yet,” Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, D-Windham-3, said.
Seventy-two countries have banned paraquat, including the entire European Union. However, some of these countries, like China, still produce the product for U.S. markets.
James Boyd, director of the Binter Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders at the University of Vermont Medical Center, said he’s seen parallels between patients and their proximity to farms that use the herbicide. When paraquat is applied, it can travel close to three miles.
“It is a higher prevalence in rural states. We have epidemiologically linked that to agricultural proximity, and Vermont is well within what we expect for a rural state in terms of prevalence for the condition,” Boyd said.
Bos-Lun said the committee heard concerns from farmers who use the product on their produce.
“It is a very significant but limited way by most apple growers in our state,” she said.
Multiple farmers testified that other heavy pesticides have killed the younger trees on their orchards, while paraquat seems to be successful for just targeting the surrounding weeds.
“That’s why this tool is so valuable to us right now,” Bill Suhr, founder and orchardist of Champlain Orchards in Shoreham, told lawmakers.
Richie Hourihan, owner and operator of Cabot Smith Farm, shared a similar sentiment.
“I’d love to stop using any chemicals, but could you stop any bug or disease or fungicide or fungus coming in to ruin my crops?” he said on Feb. 26.
“I did hear one farmer say, ‘We don’t have that many tools that we can use. This is a useful tool,’” Bos-Lun said.
To address some farmers’ concerns, the bill would assign the Agricultural Innovation Board to create a study group that would recommend farmers alternatives to paraquat during the five-year phase out period.
“The responsible thing to do is phase it out and to put some really great minds of helping come up with a safer alternative,” Bos-Lun said.