Chemical pollution Monsanto legal cases

1 chemical pollution

1.1 agent orange
1.2 dioxin
1.3 polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs)
1.4 alachlor
1.5 roundup

chemical pollution

monsanto presently operates agricultural company, founded in 1901 chemical company. in 1997 monsanto split chemical sector of business independent company, solutia inc. in 2008 monsanto agreed “to assume financial responsibility litigation relating property damage, personal injury, products liability or premises liability or other damages related asbestos, pcb, dioxin, benzene, vinyl chloride , other chemicals manufactured before solutia spin-off.”

agent orange

in 1980, first agent orange class-action lawsuit filed injuries military personnel in vietnam suffered through exposure dioxins in defoliant. chemical companies involved denied there link between agent orange , veterans medical problems. on may 7, 1984, 7 chemical companies settled class-action suit out of court hours before jury selection begin, offering $180 million compensation if veterans dropped claims against them. on 45% of sum ordered paid monsanto alone.

in 2004, monsanto, along dow , other chemical companies, sued in court group of vietnamese effects of agent orange defoliant, used military in vietnam war. case dismissed, , plaintiffs appealed way supreme court, denied appeal.

after 7 years of litigation, in 2013 monsanto reached settlement town of nitro, west virginia, agreeing pay $93 million compensatory damages, cleanup, , ongoing monitoring of dioxin contamination in area around plant agent orange made.

dioxin

in case ran february 1984 through october 1987, monsanto defendant in longest civil jury trial in u.s. history, kemner v. monsanto. case involved group of plaintiffs claimed have been poisoned dioxin in 1979 when train derailed in sturgeon, missouri. tank cars on train carried chemical used make wood preservatives , small quantities of dioxin called 2, 3, 7, 8, tcdd... formed part of manufacturing process. initial outcome mixed. jurors, after deliberating more 2 months, agreed monsanto plaintiffs had suffered no physical harm exposure dioxin. accepted plaintiffs argument monsanto had failed alter manufacturing process eliminate dioxin byproduct , had failed warn public dioxin s harmfulness. of plaintiffs awarded 1 dollar each actual losses, awarded $16.2 million in punitive damages. monsanto appealed judgments , won on counts.

polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs)

in 1990s, monsanto faced several lawsuits on harm caused pcbs workers @ companies such westinghouse bought pcbs monsanto , used them build electrical equipment. monsanto , customers, such westinghouse , ge, faced litigation third parties, such workers @ scrap yards bought used electrical equipment , broke them down reclaim valuable metals. monsanto settled of these cases , won others, on grounds had told customers pcbs dangerous chemicals , protective procedures needed implemented.

in 2003, monsanto , solutia inc., monsanto corporate spin-off, reached $700 million settlement residents of west anniston, alabama had been affected manufacturing , dumping of pcbs. in trial lasting 6 weeks, jury found monsanto had engaged in outrageous behavior, , held corporations , corporate successors liable on 6 counts considered - including negligence, nuisance, wantonness , suppression of truth.

in 2014, los angeles superior court found monsanto not liable cancers claimed pcbs permeating food supply of 3 plaintiffs had developed non-hodgkin s lymphoma. after four-week trial, jury found monsanto’s production , sale of pcbs between 1935 , 1977 not substantial causes of cancer.

in 2015, cities of spokane, san diego, , san jose initiated lawsuits against monsanto recover cleanup costs pcb contaminated sites, alleging monsanto continued sell pcbs without adequate warnings after knew of toxicity. monsanto issued media statement concerning san diego case, claiming improper use or disposal third-parties, of lawfully sold product, not company s responsibility.

in july 2015, st louis county court in missouri found monsanto, solutia, pharmacia , pfizer not liable series of deaths , injuries caused pcbs manufactured monsanto chemical company until 1977. trial took month , jury took day of deliberations return verdict against plaintiffs throughout usa. similar cases ongoing. evidence doesn’t support assertion historic use of pcb products cause of plaintiffs’ harms. confident jury conclude, 2 other juries have found in similar cases, former monsanto company not responsible alleged injuries,” monsanto statement said.

in may 2016, missouri state jury ordered monsanto pay $46.5 million in case 3 plaintiffs claimed pcb exposure caused non-hodgkin lymphoma.

in december 2016, state of washington filed suit in king county. state seeks damages , clean costs.

alachlor

alachlor second used herbicide in united states; use herbicide has been banned in european union.

in 2012, french court found monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of farmer had used herbicide lasso, trade name alachlor. first such case heard in france , considered judgment lend weight other health claims against pesticides. in 2015 french appeals court upheld ruling , ordered company compensate grower.

roundup

in 2016, monsanto filed lawsuit objecting glyphosate being added california s list of carcinogens. in january 2017, fresno county superior court rejected case. state of california filed motion dismiss case. monsanto appealed on march 22.

in 2016, southern district of california ruled emanuel giglio s cancer not monsanto s fault , fifra preempted giglio s claim of failure warn epa dangers of glyphosate .

in march 2017, 40 plaintiffs filed lawsuit @ alameda county superior court, branch of california superior court, asking damages caused roundup , demanding jury trial.