Vermont Bans Paraquat, First US State to Bar Weedkiller Linked to 90% Higher Parkinson’s Risk
Updated
Updated · KVIA · Jun 5
Vermont Bans Paraquat, First US State to Bar Weedkiller Linked to 90% Higher Parkinson’s Risk
3 articles · Updated · KVIA · Jun 5
Summary
Vermont in May became the first U.S. state to ban the sale and use of Paraquat, marking the first state-level win for advocacy groups pressing regulators over Parkinson’s disease risks.
EPA data released in 2025 showed the herbicide may drift across a 20-square-mile area at unsafe levels, while studies in California’s Central Valley found people living or working near long-term paraquat use faced a 90% higher Parkinson’s risk.
The federal agency has not suspended paraquat, saying it must confirm the new volatility findings with real-world tests that could take up to 2 years, despite calls from Earthjustice and farmworker groups for an immediate halt.
Paraquat has been banned, phased out or withdrawn in at least 74 countries, yet U.S. use has risen; more than 8,000 lawsuits have been filed against Syngenta and Chevron, and Syngenta said it will stop producing paraquat in June for commercial reasons.
The fight has particular weight in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, where 1.4 million residents live amid intensive farming, neurologists are scarce, and farmworkers and nearby communities report long-term exposure with limited protection or enforcement.
With its top maker halting production, why do 18 other companies still sell a pesticide linked to Parkinson's in the U.S.?
Pesticide-free farming is proven viable, so what prevents its widespread adoption in regions like the Rio Grande Valley?
As Parkinson's cases rise in farm communities, are we ignoring the hidden health costs of our agricultural methods?
Vermont’s Historic Paraquat Ban Sets National Precedent Amid Parkinson’s Disease Concerns and Syngenta’s Exit
Overview
Vermont recently made history by banning paraquat, a widely used herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease, after strong support from patient advocates and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Testimony revealed paraquat’s widespread use on Vermont crops, prompting Michael J. Fox to thank those who championed the ban and urge other states and the federal government to follow suit. Vermont’s action sets a powerful precedent, inspiring similar legislative efforts in other states. At the same time, Syngenta, a major paraquat supplier, announced its global exit from the paraquat business amid mounting lawsuits and scientific evidence connecting paraquat to brain cell damage and Parkinson’s disease.