{"id":36462,"date":"2024-09-20T00:01:05","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T04:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=36462"},"modified":"2024-09-20T10:23:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:23:15","slug":"national-call-to-ban-weed-killer-linked-to-parkinsons-disease-gains-momentum-stalls-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2024\/09\/national-call-to-ban-weed-killer-linked-to-parkinsons-disease-gains-momentum-stalls-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"National Call To Ban Weed Killer Linked to Parkinson\u2019s Disease Gains Momentum, Stalls in California"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, 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<\/a> (in both agricultural and nonagricultural contexts) was amended and passed as a requirement for California Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete an \u201cexpedited review\u201d by January 1, 2029. Paraquat exposure has been linked to Parkinson\u2019s<\/a> disease. According to reporting by Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) (the original sponsor of the bill) spoke candidly about the prospects for this legislation, \u201cWe 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 \u201csteadfast advocate for the environment [and] sustainable communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Environmental advocates, public health professionals, and many who have been affected by Parkinson\u2019s 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 <\/em>here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Context<\/u><\/p>\n

The original legislation responds to significant scientific documentation of the pesticide\u2019s 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<\/a><\/em>) to ban paraquat.<\/p>\n

In response to a lawsuit<\/a> filed by Earthjustice on behalf of farmworkers, EPA, by January 2025, is expected to submit a final report following up on its 2024 report, \u201cPreliminary Supplemental Consideration of Certain Issues in Support of its Interim Registration Review Decision for Paraquat,\u201d which has been criticized by the litigants as severely inadequate. EPA is reviewing the registration<\/a> of paraquat-based pesticide products after an Earthjustice lawsuit prompted the agency to reconsider the toxic herbicide’s connection to Parkinson’s.<\/p>\n

See Daily News<\/em>, California Bill Would Ban Deadly Weedkiller, Paraquat, Linked to Parkinson\u2019s Disease in Face of EPA Inaction,<\/a> for further information.<\/p>\n

Science Behind Paraquat<\/u><\/p>\n

There is no shortage of peer-reviewed, scientific literature identifying the adverse health effects of Paraquat exposure. According to research supported by Parkinson\u2019s Foundation<\/a>, there was \u201ca steep 50% increase\u201d 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<\/em><\/a>, researchers identify the heightened risk of Parkinson\u2019s 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<\/em><\/a>, researchers confirmed that paraquat is one of the most highly toxic herbicides with respect to acute toxicity, which corroborates EPA\u2019s acknowledgment that \u201c[o]ne small sip [of paraquat] can be fatal, and there is no antidote.\u201d Cumulative exposure to paraquat increases the risk of developing Parkinson\u2019s, according to a meta-analysis and systemic review published in 2019 in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

See the Pesticide-Induced Disease Database<\/a> for easy access to a directory of the latest peer-reviewed research regarding Parkinson\u2019s<\/a> and other severe health conditions associated with paraquat exposure. See the Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management<\/a> for more information on the adverse public health and environmental impacts of the herbicide. For more news updates on paraquat<\/a>, see its dedicated Daily News <\/em>section.<\/p>\n

Applying The Dacthal Standard & End Paraquat Registration<\/u><\/p>\n

In a groundbreaking decision, EPA used its statutory authority outlined in Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act <\/em>(FIFRA)\u2019s \u201cimminent hazard\u201d 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 \u201clife-long impacts\u201d such as impaired brain development and motor skills.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n