Vermont AG Filed a Lawsuit against Monsanto over PCB Contamination in Schools

JUNE 19, 2023

On June 19, 2023, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark filed a lawsuit against Monsanto for knowingly manufacturing PCBs and advertising PCB-containing products as safe, despite knowing that the substances were highly toxic and posed danger to human health and the environment. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a class of dangerous chemicals that have cancerous, neurological, reproductive, and other harmful effects in humans and wildlife, and are resistant to environmental degradation. Specifically, the lawsuit sought recovery for PCB contamination in schools, in addition to other penalties and cleanup costs.

In November 2023, AG Clark filed an amicus brief asking a federal court to stay a lawsuit brought by a group of schools against Monsanto for PCB contamination given the overlap with the state’s lawsuit, which was filed first. According to a press release from the AG’s office, “temporarily pausing the federal suit will conserve resources and is likely to save taxpayer dollars. A stay also provides a path forward that will allow issues to be resolved more efficiently, without duplicating efforts and causing piecemeal litigation. Under state law, only the State can bring a lawsuit for reimbursement of the statewide testing program..”

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