Vermont lawmakers passed the first-in-the-nation ban on paraquat, an herbicide that appears to substantially increase the risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

“Paraquat is a highly toxic pesticide used on farms across the United States. Decades of scientific research show that people who apply paraquat are more than twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to those who use other pesticides,” the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research stated.

“Even living or working near areas where paraquat is sprayed can raise Parkinson’s risk, underscoring concerns about the chemical’s impact on farmers, agricultural workers and rural communities,” it continued.

Gov. Phil Scott signed H. 739 into law in May.

“Governor (Phil) Scott signed this bill into law because he understands the harmful impacts paraquat has on the health of Vermonters,” said Amanda Wheeler, a spokesperson for the governor, according to VTDigger.

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“Many farmers have already transitioned to alternatives, and the phase out of the usage over the coming years will help those who do currently use it, identify alternative options,” she added.

VTDigger has more:

Rep. Esme Cole, D-Hartford, who sponsored the bill, agreed, calling it a “beautiful step in the right direction.” Yet, she hopes other states follow soon.

“We’re the first in the nation, but the last in the world, so it’s kind of a mixed feeling,” she said.

More than 70 countries — including China and those in the European Union — have banned the chemical, which is used to kill weeds and grasses in the cultivation of crops like apples, berries and cotton.

“In Vermont, paraquat is used very little,” said Steve Dwinell, the director of the Plant Industry Division at the state’s Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, “So it’s not going to have much of an impact at all — except for those few farmers who use it for some very specific things.”

Those few farmers are primarily apple and berry growers, who use it on young trees that are competing against grass to establish themselves in the ground. They may also use it to fight dogwood borers, which chew around the base of young trees.

The new law leaves room for those fruit growers to receive exemptions from the secretary of agriculture to continue buying and using the chemical until the end of 2030.

“Today, I signed H.739, which phases out the use of the harmful herbicide paraquat over the coming years. I appreciate Michael J. Fox and his Foundation for their work on this issue and hope this can serve as a model for other states to follow,” Scott said.

“I’m grateful to the patients, advocates, lawmakers and scientists who stepped up to protect Vermonters from paraquat,” said Michael J. Fox.

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“Now it’s time for other states — and Washington — to do the same,” he added.

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Some lawmakers expressed concern that a ban will hurt the competitiveness of Vermont farmers if the chemical is still allowed for use in other states, and said more research is needed to fully prove a link between paraquat and Parkinson’s.

But others said the scientific research was well established and the risks of not banning the chemical outweigh the risks of keeping it on the market.

Early versions of the law pointed to multiple studies by the National Institutes of Health have demonstrated that paraquat exposure substantially increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease in those exposed to the herbicide. Lawmakers also noted that other NIH studies have linked paraquat to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and childhood leukemia.

“There are so many factors that are pointing to the correlation … between paraquat use and Parkinson’s,” Michelle Bos-Lun, a state representative, said in a 13 May House committee hearing about the bill. “We have to do something to phase this out. Our job is to support farmers and to support all Vermonters. My belief is that paraquat is causing harm to both.”

Ray Dorsey, a neurologist who directs research into environmental causes of brain diseases at Atria Health and Research Institute, said Vermont’s action was “another step toward preventing this largely man-made disease”. He said that many countries had banned paraquat and said it “is long overdue for the US to do the same”.

Though Vermont is the first to pass a ban, lawmakers in multiple states have introduced legislation to ban paraquat and several federal lawmakers have also called for bans on the chemical.

Paraquat has been used in the United States since 1964 as a tool to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses. Though banned in several countries, it is one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. Paraquat is used in growing soybeans, cotton and corn as well as in growing grapes, pistachios, peanuts and many other crops.

The chemical is known to be extremely dangerous to anyone who ingests even a small amount, and regulators have issued warnings and placed restrictions on its use because of poisoning risks. But whether or not it causes Parkinson’s disease has been a matter of fierce debate.

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