Chemical Firm Monsanto Ordered to Pay $857m for Toxic Leaks at US School
Chemical company Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, has been ordered to pay $857m in damages to seven individuals affected by toxic leaks at a school in the United States. The plaintiffs in the court case argued that exposure to chemicals, known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), had made them sick.
A jury found Monsanto negligent and liable for selling the PCBs that were used in the Sky Valley Education Centre in Washington state. PCBs were commonly used as lubricants, coolants, and electrical equipment insulation, and could be found in products like carbon copy paper and paint. However, due to their links to cancer, the US government banned PCBs in 1979.
The plaintiffs involved in the case included former students and parent volunteers who had spent time at the school and reported experiencing health concerns. Monsanto has been ordered to pay compensatory and punitive damages to the plaintiffs.
Monsanto claims that it halted the production of PCBs in 1977 and had been warning the school since the 1990s to retrofit the light fixtures. However, these warnings were allegedly ignored. The company plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that the outcome is “constitutionally excessive.”
This is not the first legal setback for Monsanto. The company is currently facing other lawsuits related to the same school, for which it has been ordered to pay $870m. Additionally, Monsanto has been embroiled in legal battles concerning its popular glyphosate-based weed killer, Roundup. Following its acquisition by Bayer in 2018, Bayer inherited the legal cases relating to Roundup. Numerous lawsuits have alleged that Roundup causes cancer.
Out of the 160,000 cases filed against Bayer regarding Roundup, approximately 113,000 have either been settled or dismissed. The latest ruling against Monsanto adds to the mounting legal challenges and negative public image facing both Monsanto and its parent company, Bayer.
As the company plans its appeal, the affected individuals hope that justice will be served and their voices will continue to be heard in the fight against corporate negligence and the potential dangers of chemical exposure.
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