Washington is the first U.S. state to file a lawsuit against Monsanto. The suit is for damages related to the company’s production of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Monsanto was the only U.S. company to produce the toxic industrial chemicals from 1935 to 1979. This was when they were banned by the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Monsanto conceals facts
The company “knew for decades that PCBs were toxic and that they were contaminating all natural resources and living organisms.” Yet, “concealed these facts and continued producing PCBs until Congressional action, the suit, sited several internal company memos.”
“Monsanto knew the dangers of PCBs yet hid them from the public to generate profits,” declared Attorney General Bob Ferguson in a press statement announcing the legal action. “I will hold Monsanto accountable for its actions,” he said.
PCB pollution is pervasive and long-lasting; the Environmental Protection Agency deems PCBs a probable carcinogen, and they have been linked to other serious health effects.
“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,” added Gov. Jay Inslee in the press statement.
Contaminated waterways
Indeed, the suit states that “PCBs contaminate waterways, waterbodies, sediment, fish, and other land, water, and wildlife throughout the state of Washington. “PCBs have caused, and continue to cause direct injury to Washington’s public natural resources.”
The State of Washington has incurred significant costs to identify and reduce sources of Monsanto’s PCBs entering and contaminating public natural resources. The State has also incurred significant costs towards monitoring, investigation, analysis, and remediation of Monsanto’s PCBs in the environment. The State’s residents have borne costs of treating and managing PCB -contaminated water.
The State continues to incur significant costs into the future due to the presence of Monsanto’s PCBs.
With the incoming Trump administration, Northeast and West Coast states are set to take the lead, particularly on environmental and climate policy.
The Washington cities of Seattle and Spokane already have lawsuits underway against Monsanto for PCB damages, as do Portland, Oregon and the California cities of Berkeley, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, and Long Beach.
Hold Monsanto accountable
“It’s time to hold Monsanto accountable for doing their fair share as we clean up hundreds of contaminated sites and waterways around the state,” Gov. Inslee added.
Monsanto, for its part, said the case “lacks merit.”
By Andrea Germanos
(Source: commondreams.org; December 9, 2016; http://tinyurl.com/z9prqxu)
