Vermont is first state to ban toxic herbicide paraquat, as others may follow

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Nebraska Examiner

By: Kevin Hardy - May 30, 2026 4:45 am

Vermont became the first state to ban the use of the highly toxic herbicide paraquat after Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed Democratic-sponsored legislation this week.

Vermont’s new law bans the sale or use of paraquat without explicit approval from the secretary of agriculture. Widely used to control weeds in major crops across the country, that chemical is linked to Parkinson’s disease.

More than a dozen states have recently introduced legislation to ban or limit the use of paraquat, according to The Council of State Governments.

“With Vermont leading the way, states across the country now have a clear path to end the use of one of the most toxic herbicides still on the market,” Geoff Horsfield, legislative director for the Environmental Working Group, said in a news release. “This is a turning point in the effort to protect public health from a chemical that has been tied to devastating neurological harm.”


A Utah farmer harvests crops on his family’s farm in Weber County in September 2025. Vermont became the first state to ban the use of a toxic herbicide used on crops across the country. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/30/repub/vermont-is-first-state-to-ban-toxic-herbicide-paraquat-as-others-may-follow/