A Utah farmer harvests grain on his family’s farm in Weber County in September 2025. Vermont was the first state to ban the utilize of a toxic herbicide on crops nationwide. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Vermont became the first state to ban the utilize of the highly toxic herbicide paraquat after Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed a Democratic-backed law this week.
Vermont’s fresh law prohibits the sale or utilize of paraquat without the express authorization of the Secretary of Agriculture. This chemical is widely used and associated with weed control in vital crops across the country Parkinson’s disease.
Accordingly, more than a dozen states have recently passed laws to ban or restrict the utilize of paraquat The Council of State Governments.
“With Vermont leading the way, states across the country now have a clear path to ending the use of one of the most toxic herbicides still on the market,” Geoff Horsfield, legislative director of the Environmental Working Group, said in a news release. “This is a turning point in efforts to protect public health from a chemical that has been linked to devastating neurological damage.”
The nonprofit research and advocacy organization is pushing for an end to paraquat utilize, which is banned in more than 70 countries.
Lawmakers in nearby New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are also considering paraquat bans. And bills to ban or restrict its utilize have been proposed in Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, paraquat is one of the most commonly used herbicides nationwide. However, due to the inherent risks, only certified people can utilize the herbicide, and the agency warns against using it near home gardens, schools, parks, golf courses or playgrounds.
“Paraquat is highly toxic” EPA website says. “A small sip can be fatal and there is no antidote.”
Skin contact, ingestion or inhalation of the herbicide can cause and has been linked to lung damage, heart failure and kidney failure certain types of cancer.
Agricultural giant Syngenta has faced thousands of lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn consumers about the dangers of its weedkiller Gramoxone, whose main ingredient is paraquat.
In March, Syngenta announced it would stop global production of paraquat by the end of June.
Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org.
This story was originally produced by State borderwhich is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network that includes West Virginia Watch, and is a 501c(3) public charity supported by grants and a coalition of donors.
