CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Wednesday, the City of Chula Vista filed a lawsuit against the Monsanto Company for chemical contamination.
In the lawsuit filed by a law firm named Baron and Budd, the city says chemicals known as PCBs manufactured by Monsanto, now known as Bayer, have escaped into the city’s municipal stormwater system, leading the city to spend substantial amounts of money on cleanup.
PCBs are known to cause a number of health issues in humans, such as cancer and damage to the immune system.
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Monsanto was the sole manufacturer of the chemicals in the US between 1935 and 1979, when the chemicals were banned by the federal government.
“Monsanto needs to stop playing games and accept responsibility for cleaning up the mess it’s made,” said Baron & Budd Shareholder, John Fiske. “Chula Vista is the latest city to recognize that PCB cleanup costs shouldn’t be passed on to its citizens, and I anticipate more cities and states will continue to follow suit.”
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The chemicals were used numerous of commercial and industrial applications like paint, electric transformers, cable coatings, sealants and lubricants.
Scientists say PCBs can’t be contained to their original applications so, when it rains, the chemicals escape into stormwater systems that wash into bodies of water, such as the bay.
The law firm representing Chula Vista also represents San Diego, San Jose, Oakland, Berkley, Long Beach and several other cities in the Pacific Northwest in similar lawsuits.
