Bibb v. Monsanto Company
Civil Action No. 04-C-465
Pending in the Circuit Court of Putnam County, West Virginia
Big wins can happen in small places. The West Virginia State Supreme Court
finalized a big blow to the biotech giant Monsanto this month, finishing a settlement causing Monsanto to pay $93 million to the tiny town of Nitro, West Virginia for poisoning citizens with Agent Orange chemicals.
The West Virginia State
Supreme Court finalized a big blow to the biotech giant Monsanto this month,
finishing a settlement causing Monsanto to pay $93 million to the tiny
town of Nitro, West Virginia for poisoning citizens with Agent Orange
chemicals.
Links about this case and the settlement
Excerpt From The West Virginia Gazette
"For more than 50 years, the Monsanto plant churned out
herbicides, rubber products and other chemicals. The plant’s production of
Agent Orange, a defoliant deployed widely in the Vietnam War, created dioxin as
a toxic chemical byproduct.
In a 2008 class action suit, residents sought medical
monitoring for at least 5,000 — and perhaps as many as 80,000 — current and
former Nitro, WV residents.
Dioxin has been linked to cancer, birth defects, learning
disabilities, endometriosis and other infertility problems, and suppressed immune
functions. The chemical builds up in tissue over time, meaning that even a
small exposure can accumulate to dangerous levels.
. . . . .
Between 3,000 and 5,000 people are estimated to be eligible
for the medical tests. The initial health screening will include blood tests
and a standard health history report. Also, samples will be taken to determine
how much dioxin participants have in their blood. Other blood tests will be
used to determine blood sugar, cholesterol and blood count, which can provide
early detection of cancer and other diseases. These tests would then be
performed every five years. If 25 percent or more of the participants in the
program are found to have more than certain “background” levels of dioxin in
their blood, increased frequency of the medical tests kicks in, from every five
years to every two years, which Monsanto has agreed to provide up to $63
million in additional funding for, according to court documents.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazette.com
or 304-348-1723.
This case can have far reaching affects! Let's hope that other towns and cities across the nation will follow suit!
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