Seattle Monsanto settlement overview:
- Who: Bayer AG subsidiary Monsanto Co. agreed to pay $160 million to end claims from the City of Seattle.
- Why: The settlement ends claims Monsanto contaminated Seattle’s stormwater and drainage systems with polychlorinated biphenyls.
- Where: The settlement stems from a case filed in Washington federal court.
Monsanto Co. agreed to pay $160 million to put an end to claims the company contaminated Seattle’s stormwater, drainage systems and Lower Duwamish Waterway with polychlorinated biphenyls.
The City of Seattle claimed the Bayer AG subsidiary knew about the dangers PCBs posed to the public and the environment for years yet continued to promote the chemicals’ use in a number of the company’s products.
The city says it will use the settlement funds to clean up the Lower Duwamish Waterway and prevent any further PCB pollution, according to a statement from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison.
“Our office has been able to deliver a great result for the City of Seattle and defend our beloved Duwamish waterway,” Davison says.
Settlement could allow Seattle to expand pollution programs, Davison says
Davison says the settlement funds will allow the Seattle Public Utilities to take steps to protect the Duwamish, potentially including expanding its source control program to “identify and address increasingly elusive sources of pollution.”
Potential pollution sources include buildings with PCBs by way of paint or caulk, according to Davison, who says the settlement funds will also prevent “further contamination” of stormwater.
“We all play a role in protecting our environment, and I am glad that Monsanto will contribute to this important environmental cleanup,” Davison says.
This is not the first time Monsanto has settled with Seattle and surrounding communities over environmental pollution.
In July 2023, a jury in Seattle previously ordered Monsanto to pay $72 million to end claims the chemical company supplied a Seattle-area school with light fixtures that exposed individuals to PCBs.
And last year, Monsanto spin-off company Pharmacia LLC agreed to pay $165 million to a group of former employees at Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Washington to resolve claims it was liable for selling an unsafe product by way of light fixtures containing PCBs, without providing adequate warning.
Have you been injured from pollution connected to Monsanto? Let us know in the comments.
The Seattle Monsanto settlement is In re: City of Seattle v. Monsanto Co., et al., Case No. 2:216-cv-00107, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
One thought on Monsanto reaches $160M settlement with Seattle over river pollution
Add me