Overview
- Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill on Tuesday, May 26, making Vermont the first state to prohibit the sale and use of paraquat statewide.
- The law takes effect Nov. 1 and allows regulators to issue special permits for use on specified fruit orchards and berries through Dec. 31, 2030.
- Syngenta announced in April that it will stop producing and selling paraquat, but generic manufacturers remain on the market and supply could undercut the ban’s reach.
- More than 8,000 U.S. lawsuits alleging a link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease are pending, with several settlements already and trials scheduled later this year and next.
- Public‑health arguments for the ban cite NIH‑referenced studies and EPA warnings about paraquat’s acute toxicity and mounting evidence tying exposure to Parkinson’s, non‑Hodgkin lymphoma and childhood leukemia, and the Vermont law may prompt other states and federal policymakers to tighten restrictions.