Tweet
Washington sues agribusiness giant Monsanto over toxic PCBs in waterways
BY JOEL CONNELLY, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
Updated 3:43 pm, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Washington state is suing Monsanto for damages and cleanup costs that could total hundreds of millions of dollars, over toxic PCBs that the agribusiness giant produced for decades while allegedly concealing its knowledge of the chemical's harm to human health and the environment.
"PCBs are in every waterway in the state," said Attorney General Bob Ferguson in announcing the suit. He described the coolant, banned by Congress in 1979, as "one of the most pervastive pollutants in history."
Gov. Jay Inslee, appearing with Ferguson, spoke of an "omnipresent and terrifically toxic material" and noted that concentrations of PCBs in the southern resident orca population are "one of the highest recorded for any place on Earth.".
...
"Monsanto is responsible for producing a chemical that is so widespread in our environment that it appears virtually everywhere we look -- in our waterways, in people and in fish -- at levels that can impact our health," said Inslee.
Monsanto "needs to be held accountable," the governor added.
Washington is the first state in the country to initiate litigation against Monsanto. Seattle and Spokane have lawsuits pending against Monsanto over PCB contamination in water treatment.
"We expect this to be a long, complex legal fight," said Ferguson.
Monsanto has resources. It poured $4.5 million into defeating a 2013 Washington initiative that would have required labeling of genetically modified food products and seeds sold in the Evergreen State.
The defendants in the lawsuit are Monsanto and two of its splinter companies, Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia LLC. ...
BY JOEL CONNELLY, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
Updated 3:43 pm, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Washington state is suing Monsanto for damages and cleanup costs that could total hundreds of millions of dollars, over toxic PCBs that the agribusiness giant produced for decades while allegedly concealing its knowledge of the chemical's harm to human health and the environment.
"PCBs are in every waterway in the state," said Attorney General Bob Ferguson in announcing the suit. He described the coolant, banned by Congress in 1979, as "one of the most pervastive pollutants in history."
Gov. Jay Inslee, appearing with Ferguson, spoke of an "omnipresent and terrifically toxic material" and noted that concentrations of PCBs in the southern resident orca population are "one of the highest recorded for any place on Earth.".
...
"Monsanto is responsible for producing a chemical that is so widespread in our environment that it appears virtually everywhere we look -- in our waterways, in people and in fish -- at levels that can impact our health," said Inslee.
Monsanto "needs to be held accountable," the governor added.
Washington is the first state in the country to initiate litigation against Monsanto. Seattle and Spokane have lawsuits pending against Monsanto over PCB contamination in water treatment.
"We expect this to be a long, complex legal fight," said Ferguson.
Monsanto has resources. It poured $4.5 million into defeating a 2013 Washington initiative that would have required labeling of genetically modified food products and seeds sold in the Evergreen State.
The defendants in the lawsuit are Monsanto and two of its splinter companies, Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia LLC. ...
Monsanto Controversy: Washington Sues Agrochemical Giant For PCB Pollution
By Seerat Chabba @crat074 On 12/09/16 AT 4:08 AM
...
PCBs ? or polychlorinated biphenyls ? were used in many industrial and commercial applications like paint, coolants, sealants and hydraulic fluids, and produced by the St. Louis-based Monsanto between 1935 and 1979, when Congress banned them.
The damage, however, was already done.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says PCBs have been shown cause a variety of health problems, including malfunctioning of immune, nervous and reproductive systems. A recent study looked at 286 Environmental Protection Agency reports in 20 states, including Washington, and found that almost 14 million schoolchildren are potentially unprotected from the chemicals, despite repeated attempts to clean up schools...
By Seerat Chabba @crat074 On 12/09/16 AT 4:08 AM
...
PCBs ? or polychlorinated biphenyls ? were used in many industrial and commercial applications like paint, coolants, sealants and hydraulic fluids, and produced by the St. Louis-based Monsanto between 1935 and 1979, when Congress banned them.
The damage, however, was already done.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says PCBs have been shown cause a variety of health problems, including malfunctioning of immune, nervous and reproductive systems. A recent study looked at 286 Environmental Protection Agency reports in 20 states, including Washington, and found that almost 14 million schoolchildren are potentially unprotected from the chemicals, despite repeated attempts to clean up schools...