Town of Los Angeles is suing Monsanto and two different corporations for previous and future prices of coping with contamination of waterways by long-banned chemical substances known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, the town legal professional introduced Monday.
Lengthy-lasting PCBs had been utilized in quite a few merchandise and purposes for many years and are linked to a variety of destructive well being impacts together with most cancers, Metropolis Legal professional Mike Feuer stated in a information convention exterior Metropolis Corridor.
The lawsuit was filed March 4 in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket and names Monsanto Co., and two others, Solutia Inc., and Pharmacia LLC, that resulted from a sequence of company acquisitions and consolidations that spun off the unique Monsanto’s companies, in line with Feuer’s workplace.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for previous prices incurred by the town in cleansing up PCB contamination and an abatement fund for future prices. Feuer wouldn’t specify a greenback quantity.
“Town has expended tens of millions and tens of millions of {dollars} to date and goes to proceed to expend tens of millions and tens of millions of {dollars} to remediate this situation,” he stated.
PCBs had been used for many years in industrial and electrical tools, hydraulic fluids, fireproofing, paper merchandise, ink and paint. They had been banned in america in 1979 below the Poisonous Substances Management Act however stay the topic of in depth litigation.
Monsanto manufactured 99% of the PCBs used or offered within the U.S. between 1929 and 1977, in line with the town legal professional’s lawsuit.
Feuer stated that regardless of the ban, stormwater and wastewater programs proceed to empty PCBs into Los Angeles Harbor, Santa Monica Bay, lakes and different waterways in addition to soils related to these areas.
“We’ve needed to dredge soil from areas, for instance,” he stated.
Consuming fish or swimming could cause publicity to PCBs, Feuer stated, however he didn’t quantify how a lot publicity would increase well being dangers.
“It’s time for Monsanto to scrub up and pay up,” he stated.
Monsanto is now a subsidiary of Bayer AG. Pharmacia is a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. and Solutia is a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Co. The Related Press despatched emails requesting remark from all of the guardian corporations on the lawsuit’s claims.
Bayer stated in a press release that it was reviewing the lawsuit and imagine it’s with out advantage.
“Monsanto voluntarily ceased its lawful manufacturing of PCBs greater than 40 years in the past, and by no means manufactured, used, or disposed of PCBs into Los Angeles’ waters, and due to this fact shouldn’t be held accountable for the contamination alleged by the town,” the assertion stated.
“The place it has been decided that these cleanups are essential, federal, and state authorities make use of an efficient system to determine dischargers and allocate clean-up obligations,” Bayer added. “Litigation of the kind introduced by the town dangers undermining these efforts.”
Pfizer spokesperson Pamela Eisele stated in an e-mail that the alleged exercise at situation predated Pfizer’s acquisition of Pharmacia, and famous that Pfizer shouldn’t be a named defendant.
“Pursuant to the Separation Settlement between Monsanto and Pharmacia, Monsanto is required to indemnify Pharmacia for any liabilities primarily associated to Monsanto’s legacy Agriculture or Chemical compounds Companies,” Eisele wrote.
Eastman didn’t instantly reply.
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