Congress Could Decide On The Paraquat Parkinson's Disease Ban And Override The Environmental Protection Agency

Big names in Parkinson's disease research funding have thrown their weight behind a total paraquat ban despite the EPA supporting its use

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - The Michael J. Fox Foundation leads the way for funding research into paraquat dangers that has linked farms that spray paraquat with farmworkers and nearby residents developing Parkinson's disease, a deadly, debilitation condition that destroys motor neurons in the brain. The organization is one of a dozen or so plaintiffs that have filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for ignoring the link between paraquat exposure and developing Parkinson's disease. The EPA renewed paraquat's license for use for another 15 years over the summer sparking anger from environmental groups that assumed the new administration in Washington, D.C. would be more environmentally sensitive. Reuters reported, "The Farmworker Association of Florida and its co-plaintiffs, which include The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, said in a statement that some scientific studies have found that paraquat can increase the risk of Parkinson's." Environmentalists are concerned for the future of America's children who live and play near paraquat farms and they say that the government is leaving them behind. The MJFF has been instrumental in getting Senators and representatives in Congress to stand up and fight for farmworkers' rights to a safe workplace and has convinced the lawmakers to introduce legislation that would override the EPA and ban paraquat directly. If the bill passes it would be the most comprehensive piece of legislation limiting pesticide use in more than 25 years according to Parkinson's News Today. "The measure would also prohibit the use of paraquat, estimated to raise the risk of Parkinson's by 320%. This herbicide has been banned in 32 countries, including the European Union and in China, the country where its primary manufacturer is based." The EPA's opinion on paraquat is that the agency has reviewed all of the credible scientific evidence available and can not find a conclusive link between coming into contact with paraquat and developing Parkinson's disease.

Several hundred paraquat lawsuits have been filed around the country, particularly in the paraquat-heavy states of Illinois, Idaho, and the like, that alleges that working with the deadly chemical caused them to inhale the fumes and develop Parkinson's disease. Others that live, work, and play near farms that spray paraquat have filed suit claiming that the chemical drifts onto their communities and is regularly inhaled. Most people near paraquat-spraying farms will tell you that the unmistakable smell of paraquat is in the air constantly, proving that they are breathing it. U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern District of Illinois recently said that the pre-trial administrative proceeding taking place in MDL are moving along and that she will soon have received all of the plaintiff's questionnaires, medical records, and other needed documents. After that, a Science Day will be held where scientific experts will explain their paraquat Parkinson's disease studies to the judge and the judge will then decide on several experts that can give testimony before jurors at trials that could begin in early 2023.

Lawyers for Paraquat Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Paraquat Lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your paraquat Parkinson's lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.