Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086 * The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #6 Mar. 25, 2016 * Page 3
COMMUNITY NEWS
Portland Sues Monsanto for PCB Cleanup of the Willamette River
P
ortland’s City Attorney brought
a resolution before City Coun-
cil on Wednesday, March 16, to
sue Monsanto for cleanup of poly-
chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in
the Willamette River and Colum-
bia Slough. The resolution comes
after the Portland Harbor Commu-
nity Advisory Group pointed out
to City leaders that six other cities
in the west are suing Monsanto for
PCB cleanup. “It’s about time,”
said Darise Weller of the Citizen
Advisory, “How can Monsanto not
have liability? I’ve been asking
that question of political leaders
at meetings whenever I can for at
least the last 15 years.” Portland
joins Seattle, Spokane, San Hose,
Oakland, Berkeley and San Diego
in seeking to recover funds for
clean up of the toxin. In 2000 the
EPA declared 11 miles of the lower
Willamette River a superfund site,
citing PCBs as the contaminant of
most concern to humans and the
environment.
Monsanto, an international ag-
rochemical corporation known for
aggressive tactics, was the sole
producer of PCBs for 40 years
from 1935 to 1979 before they
were banned by the EPA. They
produced 600,000 tons and made
proi ts. The chemicals were used
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Between
Our
Rivers
By
Barbara
Quinn
in transformers and other elec-
trical equipment because of their
effective i re-resistant proper-
ties. That same resistance is what
makes the chemicals so persistent
in the environment. In fact it is not
known how long it takes for PCBs
to break down and neutralize in
the environment. They have been
shown to cause adverse health
effects by damaging human im-
mune, reproductive, nervous and
endocrine systems and are also
known to cause cancer. The chem-
icals harm i sh, birds and other an-
imals and can lead to destruction
of habitat for i sh. The most seri-
ous source of exposure to humans
on the Willamette and Columbia
Slough is from eating resident i sh
such as cati sh, croppie, bass and
carp favored by ethnic and subsis-
tence i shers.
At issue in the lawsuits is
when the corporation knew about
the dangers of the chemical. Ac-
cording to lawyers representing
the cities, Monsanto continued to
proi t from the sale of PCBs for
years even as its ofi cials knew the
chemicals were polluting the envi-
ronment, and causing harm to peo-
ple and wildlife. They point out
there is no way to safely use PCBs
to keep them from seeping into
soil, water and air. In fact tests re-
veal that all humans, wildlife and
locations on the planet now have
some level PCBs though levels
have gone down since their ban.
They can easily cycle between
air, water, and soil. For example,
PCBs can enter the air by evap-
oration from both soil and water.
In air, PCBs can be carried long
distances and have been found
in snow and seawater in areas far
away from where they were re-
leased into the environment.
Documents uncovered in the Spo-
kane case revealed the company’s
own medical department warned
in 1955 that the chemicals were
so toxic, by either ingestion or in-
halation, that employees making
PCBs could be harmed just from
eating lunches contaminated from
the chemical fumes or residue on
workers’ hands. (Seattle seeks mil-
lions from Monsanto to clean up
PCBs from Duwamish, Seattle-
times.com, 1/26/16, Mapes.)
Representatives for Monsanto
have said they are not responsible
for the cleanup of the chemical
since it was distributed by a third
party. However, legal action by
the cities were initiated with Cal-
ifornia’s evolving public nuisance
law. It stipulates that companies
may be held liable for chemical
contamination if they manufac-
tured and marketed a product de-
spite knowing its dangers. Other
states may be moving in the same
direction as California due to the
costs of cleanup and damages
caused by toxins.
“Monsanto knew then that PCBs
were toxic and could not be con-
tained as they readily escaped into
the environment i nding their way
into bays, oceans, lakes, rivers,
streams, soil, and air,” Environ-
mental Law Firms Baron & Budd
and Gomez Trial Attorneys, repre-
senting the city of Spokane said.
Despite allegedly knowing the risk
posed, Monsanto increased the
production of PCBs and concealed
this information to make proi t,
the law i rm said. Because of such
irresponsible practices PCBs have
become a common environmental
contaminant that now affect all
forms of life. For more informa-
tion about the issue, Darise Weller
of the Portland Harbor Citizen’s
Advisory recommends the book
“Biocidal, Confronting the Poi-
sonous Legacy of PCBs,” by Ted
Dracos.
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