Virginia AG Reaches an $80 Million Settlement With Monsanto For Distribution of Toxic Chemicals

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Tuesday that he and his team has secured an $80 million settlement agreement with Monsanto Co. This settlement addresses the environmental contamination in the Commonwealth, which was caused by Monsanto’s distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Monsanto was responsible for producing 99% of America’s PCBs from the 1930s to 1977, according to Miyares.

PCBs are carcinogenic chemical compounds, once commonly utilized in industrial and consumer products. PCBs do not readily dissolve and have accumulated dangerously high levels in natural resources like fish. Federal law banned PCB production in 1979.

The repercussions of PCB contamination have been felt across Virginia, with over 1,300 river miles, 75,000 lake acres, and more than 2,000 square miles of bays and estuaries impaired by PCBs. According to Miyares, this accumulation poses a public health risk to Virginians, prompting the Commonwealth to allocate resources toward the detection and regulation of PCBs on a statewide scale.

Read the source article at ABC 7 News