HARRISBURG – A gathering of PA lawmakers, farmers, and public health advocates were at the state Capitol in Harrisburg to urge passage of Senate Bill 1158 and House Bill 1135 – legislation that would prohibit all uses of the highly toxic weedkiller Paraquat in PA. Allegheny County Rep. Natalie Mihalek, who sponsored the House bill, and Allegheny County Sen. Devlin Robinson, who sponsored the Senate bill, talked about the dangers of the pesticide which can cause Parkinson’s and other diseases. Over 70 countries have banned the use of Paraquat. Yet more than 10 million pounds of Paraquat is sprayed on American crops each year.
