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A Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill was held on September 17, 2024 by public health advocates and farmworkers calling for the ban of paraquat dichloride. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, and the Environmental Working Group hosted the event, and called for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to forego renewing the license for the herbicide paraquat.
The Effects of Paraquat Exposure
The commercial herbicide paraquat dichloride is used to control weeds and vegetation on croplands. Researchers have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder that has no known cure. This progressive disease causes tremors, shakiness, and stiffness that eventually becomes debilitating. Former farmworkers and family members shared stories at the briefing in front of Congressional staffers explaining how Parkinson’s Disease has changed their lives.
A former farmworker from Ohio spoke of the impact of Parkinson’s by sharing, “My diagnosis changed everything, affecting every aspect of my life, from physical capabilities to emotional well-being, [and] financial stability.” Another former farmworker also spoke about how early-onset Parkinson’s disease affected her cousin, who relies on medication and requires a walking stick for mobility at age 55.
Existing Paraquat Protections Fall Short
Training requirements and protective measures are not curbing the rates at which farmworkers are being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As an Environmental Working Group senior member stated at the hearing, “Putting more restrictions on how it’s used, when it’s used, what equipment you use, and so on, is not the answer.”
Today, only licensed applicators are allowed to handle paraquat, but this doesn’t adequately prevent exposure that leads to Parkinson’s Disease. The farmworkers who spoke understood the importance of personal protection and followed all safety protocols but still developed the disease. Charlene Tenbrink of Winters, California, who is represented by Leslie LaMacchia at the Bell Legal Group, worked on her family farm spraying and handling paraquat for nearly a decade and was never cautioned against the risk posed by the herbicide. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020 and attended the hearing to speak of her disappointment in the federal government for not doing more to protect farmers from the harm associated with paraquat. The message ultimately conveyed on Capitol Hill was that the only guaranteed protection for agricultural workers would be a ban on paraquat.
Urging the EPA for a Paraquat Ban
Paraquat is banned in 70 countries, and the briefing on Capitol Hill urged the U.S. to follow suit. The EPA must decide whether it will renew the paraquat’s license by January 17, 2025. A renewal would keep paraquat available on the market for another 15 years and put thousands of more agricultural workers in harm’s way. The California Legislature is currently moving to ban the herbicide, and Ms. Tenbrink also testified at the California State Capitol earlier this summer. However, this would not protect the cotton workers in the South, or the alfalfa farmers in the Midwest. A federal ban would mitigate exposure for farmworkers nationwide.
Ending the use of paraquat would not derail the farm industry, as alternatives exist that are currently being used by farmers like the Tenbrinks on their orchards. As a former farmer explained at the briefing, “It is possible to have an agriculture system that does not depend so heavily on paraquat and it does not have to be a pesticide that puts so many people’s lives at risk.” The countries that have eliminated paraquat use are proof.
Advocates, including Bell Legal attorney Leslie LaMacchia, and public health officials, rallied around those harmed by paraquat exposure to show Congress it is time for change. Additional meetings were held with several Senators, Congressmen, and their staffers to garner support of the ban. People like Charlene Tenbrink and other farmers in attendance have been let down by the federal government’s inaction and misinformation on paraquat. As Ms. Tenbrink said, “We’ve been trying to change this for a long time.” Perhaps influential briefings like this will swing momentum toward improving safety in the agricultural industry and ultimately the ban of paraquat.