Oregon to receive $698M in historic pollution lawsuit settlement

Dec. 15—Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today announced a historic $698 million settlement with the Monsanto Company (Monsanto) for their role in polluting Oregon with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) for the past 90 + years.

Monsanto was the only manufacturer, seller, and distributor of PCBs. PCBs are toxic compounds formerly used in coolants, electrical equipment (such as fluorescent lighting fixtures), and devices, as well as hydraulic oils. They were also previously used in products, including paint, caulking, and copy paper.

"This is a huge win for our state," Rosenblum said. "PCBs are still present throughout Oregon — especially in our landfills and riverbeds — and they are exceedingly difficult to remove, because they 'bioaccumulate' in fish and wildlife. Cleaning up our state from this horrific environmental degradation will be as costly and time-consuming as it sounds, but this settlement means we now will have resources to help tackle this problem."

Monsanto is owned by Bayer AG, a massive German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.

Today's settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Rosenblum against Monsanto in 2018.

The Complaint in the case alleged Monsanto was aware as early as 1937 of the highly toxic nature of PCBs. Even with that knowledge, Oregon asserted, Monsanto continued to produce and promote the compounds for decades — until they were finally banned in 1977. The lawsuit asked for damages for the extensive harm to Oregon from PCB contamination, as well as clean-up costs.

"Monsanto's toxic legacy unfortunately lives on in our lands, rivers and other waterways — and poses ongoing risks to the health of our people and our environment," Rosenblum said. "This is all the more reason why this settlement is so vitally important. Oregon and Oregonians will be the better for it."

The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ), which AG Rosenblum leads, will be working with the Oregon Legislature, Oregon Governor, and state agencies to put the funds to use for statewide remediation and clean-up.

"This settlement is a major step in beginning to reverse the harmful effects of PCBs on Oregon's environment," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. "I'd like to thank the DOJ staff and attorneys who worked diligently to get us to this point. While it will take some time, I am pleased we can now move forward toward a healthier Oregon."