Vermont agency: Paraquat not permitted on utility rights-of-way; explains opt-out, notice and permit rules

Dave Huber, deputy director of the Division of Plant Industry at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told a legislative committee that the agency has no permits that allow Paraquat for use on utility rights-of-way and outlined how rights-of-way herbicide use is regulated and communicated to the public.

Huber said the agency requires a permit from the secretary before any herbicide may be applied for the purpose of clearing or maintaining a right-of-way, and that agency specialists inspect, investigate complaints and can sample if an application appears to fall outside permit terms. “We don't have any permits that have paraquat allowed for rights away,” he said.

The rules governing rights-of-way date to 1991 and were updated in 2023 as part of a broader pesticide rule amendment. A complete permit application must be filed on a secretary-provided form before March 1 of the year of proposed application…