Monsanto Okays $160-M Settlement With Seattle Over River Pollution

Ending an eight-year legal battle, chemical giant Monsanto has agreed to a $160 million settlement with Seattle for its part in polluting a river that runs through the heart of the city with toxins that posed a threat to humans, fish, and wildlife, the city attorney’s office said, Martha Bellisle reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Water samples collected from the Lower Duwamish detected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are man-made chemical compounds that were manufactured by Monsanto. I Photo: Karen Eliot Wikimedia Commons

“We all play a role in protecting our environment, and I am glad that Monsanto will contribute to this important environmental cleanup,” City Attorney Ann Davison said in a news release. It’s the largest single-city settlement Monsanto has paid, she added.

The Duwamish River cuts through Seattle, emptying into Puget Sound just south of downtown.

Water samples collected from the Lower Duwamish detected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are man-made chemical compounds that were manufactured by Monsanto, according to the city’s lawsuit.

Although Monsanto stopped manufacturing PCBs in 1977, the chemicals continued to exist in paints, caulking, and sealants on buildings, Davison said.

As a result, stormwater flowing into the Lower Duwamish River has been continually contaminated with PCBs. Seattle sued Monsanto in 2016, claiming the company “was well aware” that PCBs were toxic to animals, fish, and the environment but continued to manufacture its products.

Under the settlement, Monsanto did not admit to any wrongdoing, fault, or violation of the law. The settlement requires the company to pay Seattle $160 million by August 4.