Parkinson's Disease Advocacy Groups Have Urged The EPA to Ban Paraquat

The EPA has generally ignored public outcry to ban paraquat

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is at the forefront of identifying the behaviors that cause Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is a condition from which Mr. Fox has suffered for decades. The organization seeks to eliminate the behaviors linked with developing neurological disease. Of all of the factors that could lead to Parkinson's disease, spraying Paraquat, a deadly toxic known to have caused thousands of human deaths and suicides, on soybean, corn, wheat, cotton, and other crops to kill weeds is the most obvious. Paraquat usage has doubled over the last decade and may double again in the years to come. So have the number of individuals that suffer from Parkinson's disease. Parkinson lawsuit lawyers are experts with a winning track record litigating against big corporations and pharmaceutical companies.

The Unified Parkinson's Advocacy Council (UPAC) was created within the MJFF to give a voice to local organizations that represent Parkinson's disease patients. The goal of the UPAC is to organize health advocacy groups concerned with patient health and well-being into a single voice and push for legislation that will lead to real change. The UPAC addresses the issues that Parkinson's disease patients face every day. "Comprising representatives from, state, regional and national Parkinson's organizations, the UPAC works with community members to gather information on the priorities of people with Parkinson's and their families, helping to ensure the needs of the broader Parkinson's population are represented in MJFF's public policy efforts," The MJFF wrote. The EPA, however, has yet to ban the use of paraquat. They have largely ignored the voices of UPAC members and scientific studies linking the deadly defoliant with Parkinson's disease. The official EPA statement says it is safe if used as directed on the bottle.

Back in July of 2017, the UPAC wrote to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and urged them to ban using paraquat throughout the country. The focus of the letter was the credible, scientific studies that all point to low levels of paraquat ingestion during any one of several activities leading to developing Parkinson's Disease, a fatal, neurological disorder for which there is no cure. In a letter to Marianne Mannix, Chemical Review Manager of the Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division of the EPA, UPAC urged the following. "Science shows paraquat is extremely dangerous. According to the EPA, one small sip can be fatal, and there is no antidote. We believe it should be eliminated from the American agriculture system for many reasons, including acute toxicity and organ failure by inhalation, oral intake, and dermal absorption; chronic toxicity affecting the eyes, lungs, liver, kidneys, and endocrine system; and a higher incidence of various cancers after exposure. In addition, research indicates low-level chronic exposure significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's disease, which is the focus of this letter."

The request to ban paraquat should have carried significant weight since the organization represents dozens of smaller Parkinson's disease advocacy groups throughout the country. Parkinson's disease patients that have come into contact with paraquat by working on or living near farms that spray the herbicide should speak with a Paraquat Parkinson's disease lawyer to file a claim and hold Syngenta, the maker of the deadly chemical, responsible for their fraud and negligence.

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