20
Sep
National Call To Ban Weed Killer Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Gains Momentum, Stalls in California
(Beyond Pesticides, September 20, 2024) As the California State Assembly wrapped up the 2024 legislative session, what was once a proposed ban of the deadly weed killer paraquat (in both agricultural and nonagricultural contexts) was amended and passed as a requirement for California Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete an “expedited review” by January 1, 2029. Paraquat exposure has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. According to reporting by Los Angeles Times, Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) (the original sponsor of the bill) spoke candidly about the prospects for this legislation, “We never thought we’d get a full ban through the Legislature. But we had to push as hard as we could.” Assemblymember Friedman is chair of the bicameral Environmental Caucus and a self-described “steadfast advocate for the environment [and] sustainable communities.”
Environmental advocates, public health professionals, and many who have been affected by Parkinson’s disease are calling for the emergency suspension of paraquat, applying the same standard used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the herbicide Dacthal/DCPA last month. (See Daily News here.)
Context
The original legislation responds to significant scientific documentation of the pesticide’s hazards, and an unresponsive regulatory process, as well as previous legislation efforts. In 2018, U.S. Representative Nydia Velasquez (D-NY) introduced legislation (Protect Against Paraquat Act) to ban paraquat.
In response to a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of farmworkers, EPA, by January 2025, is expected to submit a final report following up on its 2024 report, “Preliminary Supplemental Consideration of Certain Issues in Support of its Interim Registration Review Decision for Paraquat,” which has been criticized by the litigants as severely inadequate. EPA is reviewing the registration of paraquat-based pesticide products after an Earthjustice lawsuit prompted the agency to reconsider the toxic herbicide’s connection to Parkinson’s.
See Daily News, California Bill Would Ban Deadly Weedkiller, Paraquat, Linked to Parkinson’s Disease in Face of EPA Inaction, for further information.
Science Behind Paraquat
There is no shortage of peer-reviewed, scientific literature identifying the adverse health effects of Paraquat exposure. According to research supported by Parkinson’s Foundation, there was “a steep 50% increase” in diagnoses in the United States from 2012 to 2022. In a 2020 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers identify the heightened risk of Parkinson’s disease to paraquat exposure down to the zip code based on data gathered by the U.S. Geological Survey and Louisiana State University. In a 2023 study published in Ecotoxicology, researchers confirmed that paraquat is one of the most highly toxic herbicides with respect to acute toxicity, which corroborates EPA’s acknowledgment that “[o]ne small sip [of paraquat] can be fatal, and there is no antidote.” Cumulative exposure to paraquat increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s, according to a meta-analysis and systemic review published in 2019 in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.
See the Pesticide-Induced Disease Database for easy access to a directory of the latest peer-reviewed research regarding Parkinson’s and other severe health conditions associated with paraquat exposure. See the Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management for more information on the adverse public health and environmental impacts of the herbicide. For more news updates on paraquat, see its dedicated Daily News section.
Applying The Dacthal Standard & End Paraquat Registration
In a groundbreaking decision, EPA used its statutory authority outlined in Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)’s “imminent hazard” clause to cancel the registration of the toxic herbicide Dacthal/DCPA on August 7. This decision came after decades of documented adverse health impacts to children and pregnant mothers exposed to Dacthal, including fetal hormone disruption leading to “life-long impacts” such as impaired brain development and motor skills.
This was the second time in EPA history that the agency took this emergency action, the first time being in 1979 with the suspension of the herbicide 2,4,5-T (one-half of the notorious chemical herbicide Agent Orange). In evaluating its decision to suspend Dacthal, EPA considered the five following points:
- The seriousness of the threatened harm;
- The immediacy of the threatened harm;
- The probability that the threatened harm will occur;
- The benefits to the public of the continued use of the pesticide; and
- The Nature and extent of the information before the Agency at the time it makes a decision.
EPA also decided to prohibit the continued use of existing stocks of dacthal-based herbicide products, which departs from the agency’s decision earlier this year to permit the use of existing stocks for three dicamba-based herbicides following a federal court decision in February declaring EPA violated federal pesticide law. Rather than relying on private settlements and existing stocks orders, EPA’s decision on Dacthal opens the door for fenceline communities and the public to demand robust actions on a variety of toxic pesticides, including atrazine and paraquat.
Call to Action in Alignment with National Organic Month
On the Parkinson’s National Day of Action (September 17), the Michael J. Fox Foundation called on the public to contact their members of Congress and ask them to reach out to the White House and EPA to cancel the registration of paraquat ahead of the agency’s deadline to make a decision on the herbicide by January 2025.
Learn more about the national grassroots movement to ban paraquat (Beyond Pesticides is a member of this coalition alongside dozens of public health, farmworker, environmental justice, and climate action-oriented organizations) here.
Additionally, contact EPA here to suspend the registration of atrazine by applying the Dacthal Standard. This month is also National Organic Month, with September 30 serving as the deadline for the public to submit comments for the Fall 2024 National Organic Standards Board meeting. See Keeping Organic Strong for an updated list of Beyond Pesticides’ comments, as well as resources and guides for submitting comments.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Sources: Los Angeles Times
