Hebron Residents Link 14 Parkinson’s Cases to Paraquat Exposure as New York Ban Stalls
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
Hebron Residents Link 14 Parkinson’s Cases to Paraquat Exposure as New York Ban Stalls
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5
Summary
A seven-mile stretch in Hebron, New York, has been dubbed “Parkinson’s Valley” after residents identified 14 Parkinson’s cases near one home and dozens more in nearby towns.
Paraquat is the suspected common factor: the herbicide was sprayed for decades on local farmland, and studies cited in the report found farmers faced 2.5 times the risk while nearby residents had double the risk.
New York lawmakers failed this year to pass a paraquat ban after a budget standoff, leaving Vermont as the only state to enact one even though more than 70 countries already prohibit the chemical.
US use of paraquat doubled to at least 11 million pounds a year by 2018, while the EPA has required more study of drift and vapor travel but has not linked the herbicide to Parkinson’s.
Syngenta rejects claims that paraquat causes Parkinson’s, yet it set aside $792 million for settlements in 2025 and stopped making the product this year, while generic versions remain on the market.
If paraquat is banned in over 70 countries, why do U.S. communities still bear the unanswered Parkinson’s risk?
Could “Parkinson’s Valley” reveal a hidden public-health crisis tied to farm chemicals drifting farther than regulators once believed?
Parkinson’s Valley: The Paraquat Crisis in Hebron, New York, and the Push for Legislative Action
Overview
In Hebron, New York, a cluster of Parkinson’s disease cases along a seven-mile stretch—dubbed 'Parkinson’s Valley'—sparked community action after residents linked the illnesses to years of paraquat herbicide use on local farms. Scientific studies show paraquat triggers oxidative stress, damaging brain cells and increasing Parkinson’s risk for those living or working near treated fields. Despite Syngenta halting paraquat production due to legal and market pressures, widespread generic manufacturing means U.S. farm use remains high. As Vermont enacted a ban, New York lawmakers introduced similar bills, but strong opposition from agricultural groups and legislative delays have stalled progress, leaving affected families to continue their fight for protection and accountability.