The state could receive up to $45 million in a new settlement with the Monsanto Company and its affiliates for making and selling polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals that have leaked into and contaminated Hawaiʻi’s natural resources.
The state Attorney General’s office recently announced the settlement, following various claims against the company, which manufactured and sold PCBs for decades.
“Monsanto manufactured and sold PCBs for decades and the negative environmental consequences of these chemicals continue long after their production ended,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez in a statement. “This settlement holds Monsanto accountable for PCB contamination in Hawaiʻi and secures significant resources for our state. We will continue to use every tool available to protect Hawaiʻi’s environment and natural resources for future generations.”
PCBs were used for industrial applications and at one time could be found in products like motor oil, insulation, adhesives and electrical equipment.
They were banned in the U.S. in 1979 because of growing evidence that they were harmful to human health and the environment.
Three decades ago, an Environmental Protection Agency study found that PCBs are “probable human carcinogens.” They can accumulate in plants and animals, and can persist for decades in the water, soil and air.
The state is guaranteed $10 million from the settlement. It could receive up to $35 million more, depending on the outcome of other pending legal cases.
