Agri-Pulse reports:
Washington, DC — The Environmental Protection Agency will re-evaluate the safety of paraquat. The herbicide is the subject of lawsuits alleging it causes Parkinson’s disease.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says in an X post that the agency shares the same goal as the Make America Healthy Again Movement: “that any pesticide on the market used to eliminate weeds, germs, diseases, or bugs must meet the HIGHEST standards of safety, grounded in the best available gold standard science.”
“EPA is requiring paraquat manufacturers to thoroughly prove that current uses are safe in real world conditions. If they cannot meet that standard, decisive action will certainly follow,” Zeldin said.
In November, the agency asked manufacturers for additional data on the product after a new vapor pressure study showed “there is greater uncertainty regarding the potential for paraquat to volatilize than previously considered.”
In early 2024, EPA rejected the association between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s. Nearly 6,500 pending cases are included in a multi-district case that alleges a connection.
Paraquat registrant Syngenta “rejects the claims of a causal link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease because it is not supported by scientific evidence,” the company says.
To read their statement click here.
