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Committee debates paraquat phase-out, weighing 2030 runway and narrow exemptions for fruit growers
Summary
Members of the Agriculture committee discussed a bill to limit use of paraquat, with several supporting a phased ban through 2030, narrow exemptions for fruit and berry producers, tighter application rules and agency monitoring; the committee agreed to draft compromise language and invite staff experts for more detail.
The Agriculture committee met for a community discussion about proposed restrictions on paraquat, with members debating whether to accept House language, craft a compromise that protects Vermont farmers and whether to set a 2030 phase-out date.
The chair opened the session by saying the House text made “too many assumptions” and asked the committee to base any law on the testimony they had heard. The chair said testimony raised concerns about paraquat’s risks but did not, in their view, establish definitive causation between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease; at the same time they said paraquat is “a chemical that if not used correctly could be deemed a very bad chemical.” The chair emphasized the committee’s stated principle that decisions should be made for “what is best for the…
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