Washington County Residents Push New York Paraquat Ban After 70 Nations Outlaw Herbicide
Updated
Updated · North Country Public Radio · Aug 2
Washington County Residents Push New York Paraquat Ban After 70 Nations Outlaw Herbicide
1 articles · Updated · North Country Public Radio · Aug 2
Summary
Hebron residents in Washington County are pressing New York to ban paraquat after multiple local Parkinson’s cases led some to suspect long-term farm exposure in their community.
Studies dating to the late 1990s have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease, and U.S. use doubled to at least 11 million pounds a year between 2014 and 2018.
Syngenta, paraquat’s largest producer, has defended the herbicide as safe when used under EPA rules, though reports cited by New York Focus say the company privately tracked and countered the Parkinson’s narrative.
New York’s ban bill reached the floor in its first year but ran out of time amid delayed budget negotiations; supporters plan to bring it back next year despite opposition from farm groups.
More than 70 countries have already banned paraquat, while 14 U.S. states including New York have introduced measures to restrict or outlaw it.