The Business Journal on an EU ban of a popular weed killer:
A European Union court has banned a chemical used as a common weed killer, based on claims the substance does not meet health standards, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The chemical paraquat is the primary ingredient in one of the world’s most widely used herbicides, Syngenta AG’s Gramoxone product. Gramoxone is marketed in North America by the Swiss company’s regional crop protection headquarters operation in Greensboro.
The “Court of First Instance” agreed with complaints from Swedish environmental officials that paraquat had not been adequately investigated as a potential health hazard prior to a regulatory ruling allowing its use in the European Union in 2003.
Syngenta says its product is not harmful when used as directed, and claims it has been used safely in 120 countries for more than 40 years. It is approved for use in the United States, but only by certified applicators.