Monsanto get hit for 700 million dollars

international | environment | news report

Thursday August 28, 2003 02:52

by ollie - katalyzer

YYYYYYEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes its true, a class class action against Monsanto, mutanto, morbanto, call them what you will, has resulted in that company having to cough up for PCB poisoning in Alabama. There is no real compensation for what these people went through - in a world where people get jailed for not paying a tv licience while the MD's of these MNC's swan around in multi-billionaire Forbes 500 land!
However, the good news is that the money (most of it payable within 7 days! Yes!) will be used for comprehensive clean ups, as well as providing for 20,000 people's medical bills and cash payments. Most of these are 'low income african americans who have developed negative lifelong health impacts from the toxic pollutants. Monsanto's PCBs have caused everything from severe brain damage to cancer and death' according to organic bytes, the weekly mail out service of the organic consumers association. (USA)

Read more:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/monsanto_pcbs.cfm

Am I still cynical, yes. Am I pleased to hear this news - most certainally.

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Comments (5 of 5)

>>>>>Yeah,

by Seáinín

Thu Aug 28, 2003 03:15

Yeah, stay cynical, it's a good cop out. It means you don'y have to deal with reality like moving out of your parent's house and getting a job.

I wonder why Montsanto have had to pay all this money, I thought the "evil corporations" ran America.

....

by simon

Thu Aug 28, 2003 11:22

Why did they have to pay....
"The problems arose decades ago when the former Monsanto Co. conglomerate
of pharmaceutical, chemical and agrochemical interests operated a chemical plant
in Anniston that made polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.

The plaintiffs' attorneys said they had uncovered internal company documents
dating back to the 1930s that revealed Monsanto was aware of the health hazards
of PCBs for decades and failed to warn of the hazards."

http://money.cnn.com/2003/08/21/news/companies/monsanto.reut/index.htm

_______________________________________________

Although Monsanto say....
"This global settlement is in the best interest of Monsanto and our shareowners, as it allows us to concentrate our efforts on our agricultural business, while removing an area of great uncertainty for our shareowners and employees related to our contingent liabilities,” Grant said."

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/03/08-20-03.asp

______________________________________________

do they mention the people who lives they destroyed, of course not. Even though their own records show they were aware of the problems they try to shirk responsibility. Monsanto continually show the scummy layer of corporatism.

That's right...

by >>>>Seáinín

Fri Aug 29, 2003 00:17

We'd be far better off with Communist collectivisation, that system killed hardly anyone (only around 50 million) and did only minor damage to the environment of Russia and Eastern Europe (irony).

...

Fri Aug 29, 2003 01:16

your irony is still presumptuous.

trolly o' leprashaun

by john d

Fri Aug 29, 2003 02:26

seanin,you are like a drunk rambling on in the corner of a bar, talkin into his pint - and anyone who bothers to fall within earshot is sadly sucked into a time wasting time warp.

try coherent points about the topic in hand..I mean, goin' on about russia - what are you at?

Surely ever rabid pro-capitalists think something of corporate responsibility? (I'm not saying that you are and I'm not rabidly pro-capitalist, btw)

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Monsanto get hit for 700 million dollars

Comments (5 of 5)