Bill > S0176

This bill proposes to prohibit the sale, use, or application of paraquat, a synthetic, nonselective contact herbicide known for killing vegetation it touches, and paraquat dichloride, both of which are classified as restricted use pesticides by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to their high toxicity and potential for poisoning. The bill highlights that numerous countries, including those in the European Union, have banned paraquat, and multiple studies have linked paraquat exposure to increased risks of Parkinson's disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and childhood leukemia. Despite the EPA's ongoing reevaluation of paraquat's registration, which has seen its interim approval withdrawn by a court, the bill aims to protect Vermonters by enacting a state-level ban, effective July 1, 2026, unless the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets authorizes its use in specific circumstances where a threat to Vermont crops exists and no other herbicide would be effective.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.176