SIGN NOW: Tell the EPA to ban the deadly pesticide paraquat!

It’s criminal that paraquat is still legal in the United States.   

It’s banned in 67 countries because it’s so toxic. Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, acute poisonings, and other long-term health issues. One sip can kill a full-grown adult. Viable alternatives exist. There is no excuse for the increase in paraquat use we’ve seen over the past few decades in the U.S.  

With your help, we can push the EPA to ban paraquat once and for all.

Comments

Dear Edward Messina,

I urge the EPA to immediately ban the use of paraquat. Use of this deadly chemical has risen to levels not seen in more than 25 years despite increasing concerns surrounding continued acute poisonings and the very real potential for long-term negative health effects due to persistent low-dose exposure.

Paraquat is a deadly herbicide that has been banned in 67 countries worldwide including China, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Considering the risks to health and safety this product presents and the fact that there are plenty of viable alternatives to paraquat that do not affect agricultural productivity, it’s time to get this chemical out of U.S. agriculture.

This is one of the most acutely toxic pesticides still used in U.S. agriculture. As little as a sip of paraquat can be lethal to a full-grown adult, and there is no known antidote. Many studies have shown that exposure to paraquat can greatly increase—possibly more than double—a person's chance of developing Parkinson's disease, and there are links to respiratory damage and kidney disease.

Despite this strong evidence of human health harms, the EPA’s recent assessment recommends that U.S. use of paraquat continue. This is completely unacceptable.

I am deeply concerned that the EPA is not fully considering and actively pursuing the collection of evidence that persistent environmental doses are making our farmers, farmworkers, and their families ill.  The people in our rural communities are at risk, and the EPA must stand up for them.

Please take immediate action to remove this dangerous herbicide from the U.S. market.

Sincerely,

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