“Weedkiller maker moves to settle suit over Parkinson’s disease claims,” The Guardian

The herbicide paraquat – which may increase the risk of Parkinson’s and other diseases – has been banned in many countries, including the EU, but is still used in the US. Syngenta, the manufacturer of paraquat, has now settled a lawsuit from a group of Parkinson’s patients, without admitting guilt. On another front, there has been pressure on EPA to ban paraquat, though the prospect seems unlikely under the Trump Administration. This case illustrates the central problem with regulating toxic chemicals: when the burden of proof is on those seeking to prove harm, scientific uncertainty can be effectively harnessed by industry as a delaying tactic. This case also suggests that civil litigation – where juries may find evidence compelling even when that evidence doesn’t meet the standard of certainty demanded by an agency captured by industry – may be a powerful strategy for this and other environmental harms.