Monsanto ordered to pay $857 million for exposing school to ‘forever pollutants’

The Monsanto group was ordered by the American courts on Monday, December 18, to pay $857 million in damages to students and parents of a school exposed to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), so-called “eternal” pollutants. In a reaction sent to AFP, the subsidiary of the German giant Bayer declared that it wanted to appeal this decision.

Five former students and two ex-parents of students at a school in Monroe (Washington State), the Sky Valley Education Center, had taken legal action in this case. They claim that their exposure to PCBs in lighting has led to health problems. Monsanto “never warned anyone that [les PCB] would last longer than the facilities in which they were installed”said Felix Luna, lawyer for the seven plaintiffs, during his argument at the trial. “They never warned that when they enter the body, they stay there for life, that they are neurotoxic, (…) a danger”he continued.

During the trial, Monsanto argued that the school had been regularly alerted, beginning in the 1990s, of the need to replace the lighting. The group also recalled having ceased the production of these PCBs since 1977. Several decisions have already been rendered concerning other teachers, students and parents of this same school, with several hundred million dollars in compensation at stake. Monsanto also appealed these decisions.