Paraquat, Parkinson’s, and Pesticide Policy

Vermont’s new paraquat ban’s political signal could travel much farther than its practical effect. The weedkiller’s acute toxicity is undisputed; the harder question is whether its possible link to Parkinson’s Disease is strong enough to justify broader bans before federal regulators act. As the EPA reassesses and states move ahead, paraquat has become a test case for whether pesticide policy is driven by evidence, precaution, politics, or all three.