Farm Workers and Environmental Groups Sue FDA Over Paraquat: What Happens Next?
In September, a group of farm workers and environmental groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the agency re-approved the weedkiller Paraquat in July of 2021. The lawsuit alleges that the herbicide increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
What is Paraquat?
According to the FDA, Paraquat is used mainly in controlling invasive weeds and grasses on soybean crops, corn, and cotton. It’s approved only for
commercial
applications. The EPA first registered Paraquat in 1964, but it must go through a review of its registration every 15 years.
Why Sue the FDA?
On July 13, 2021, the EPA granted an interim re-registration of the Paraquat herbicide for use in commercial agriculture. As part of Paraquat’s interim re-registration, the EPA issued new guidelines to keep workers safer. These limitations included restricting the acreage on which Paraquat can be sprayed from an airplane in 24 hours. The EPA won’t issue a final registration until it completes a review of Paraquat’s impact on threatened and endangered species and its effects on the human endocrine system.Then in August of 2021, the EPA backtracked on its new recommendations on aerial spraying based on information provided by Paraquat’s manufacturers. The Agricultural Handler Exposure Task Force reported that the EPA overstated the risks faced by farm workers. As a result, farm workers and environmental groups filed suit against the EPA, stating the re-registration violates the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
What Happens Next?
The California Rural Legal Administration et al. v. United States EPA is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The suit asks the court to review and set aside the EPA’s decision. As of this fall, more than 600 actions are pending in the class action multidistrict lawsuit against Paraquat. The Ninth Circuit litigation won’t affect these suits. It only challenges the EPA’s registration of Paraquat.
Contact the Madeksho Law Firm
If you or someone you love has Parkinson’s disease and was exposed to Paraquat, we may be able to help. Call the Madeksho Law Firm at 1-888-910-6376 or contact us online. Your visit is free, and there are no fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
