Germana Carillo Monsanto agrees to $160 million settlement with Seattle over Duwamish River pollution. This is the largest compensation the multinational has ever paid to a single city.
After an eight-year legal battle, the chemical giant Monsanto will finally pay $160 million to the city of Seattle, United States, for polluting the Lower Duwamish River with toxic substances, posing a real threat to humans, fish, and wildlife.
This agreement marks the largest settlement the multinational has ever paid to a single city.
Decades of toxic production
For decades, Monsanto produced highly toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and was the only company to do so. Despite knowing that these chemicals contaminated the environment and posed risks to people and wildlife, Monsanto continued to profit from their sale.
Legal battle and findings
Former Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes sued Monsanto in 2016, claiming the company contaminated 20,000 acres that drain into the Lower Duwamish, a federal Superfund site. A city inspection throughout the area later showed that PCBs were the most widespread contaminant in the river sediments, found in 82% of the samples.
Settlement Terms
Under the settlement terms, Monsanto will pay $160 million, including $35 million for PCB cleanup. The remaining $125 million will reimburse the city for various unique claims in this case, including part of Seattle’s contribution to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund cleanup, which covers multiple pollutants, and legal fees.
