By Natalie Willis, Reporter, Valley Ag Voice
In continuity with efforts to reduce pesticide usage in California, the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials approved Assembly Bill 1963 — a bill prohibiting the use, manufacture, sale, delivery, holding, or offering for sale in commerce of any pesticide product containing paraquat.
Authored by Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman, AB 1963 — if approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom — would ban the use of paraquat on California fields and orchards by 2026.
In a press release, Friedman suggested that paraquat is linked to Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and childhood leukemia based on findings from a hypothesis study.
“The evidence is clear: paraquat poses a serious risk to human health and the environment. With more than 60 countries already banning its use, it’s time for California to follow suit to protect Californians, especially those in poor, rural communities from exposure to this toxic weed killer,” Friedman said.
In a move against the legislation, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association took to Sacramento to testify against the potential ban, citing the pesticide’s use within California’s cotton crop. Despite the opposition, the bill moved forward on April 23. The association plans to continue advocating against AB 1963 upon its presentation to the Senate, according to a press release.
CCGGA explained that the use of any pesticide is subject to substantial environmental and health-based review at the Federal EPA and California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation — both of which approved the use of paraquat in the state.
