Walkers and bikers next to the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Ian Sane/flickr/cc)
Mar 17, 2016
Portland, Oregon's city council on Wednesay voted unanimously to authorize City Attorney Tracy Reeve to sue Monsanto for contaminating water bodies within the city with PCBs.
"Portland's elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human health," Reeve said in a statement. "Monsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created," she said.
The resolution passed by the city body states that the company was the only manufacturer of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) from 1935 until they were banned in 1979. The contamination from PCBs--which cause a range of harmful effects on wildlife and humans and are categorized as probable human carcinogens--lingers, and it "has been found in sediments within the City of Portland in the Columbia Slough and the Willamette River," the resolution states.
"In our case there are PCBs widely distributed throughout Portland Harbor and that's one of the main reasons it was listed as a superfund site back in December of 2000," Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper, told local news KGW.
Portland joins six other West Coast cities--Seattle, Spokane, Berkeley, Oakland, San Diego and San Jose--to file such a suit. The seven cities will use the same two law firms for their separate suits.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Portland, Oregon's city council on Wednesay voted unanimously to authorize City Attorney Tracy Reeve to sue Monsanto for contaminating water bodies within the city with PCBs.
"Portland's elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human health," Reeve said in a statement. "Monsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created," she said.
The resolution passed by the city body states that the company was the only manufacturer of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) from 1935 until they were banned in 1979. The contamination from PCBs--which cause a range of harmful effects on wildlife and humans and are categorized as probable human carcinogens--lingers, and it "has been found in sediments within the City of Portland in the Columbia Slough and the Willamette River," the resolution states.
"In our case there are PCBs widely distributed throughout Portland Harbor and that's one of the main reasons it was listed as a superfund site back in December of 2000," Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper, told local news KGW.
Portland joins six other West Coast cities--Seattle, Spokane, Berkeley, Oakland, San Diego and San Jose--to file such a suit. The seven cities will use the same two law firms for their separate suits.
Portland, Oregon's city council on Wednesay voted unanimously to authorize City Attorney Tracy Reeve to sue Monsanto for contaminating water bodies within the city with PCBs.
"Portland's elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human health," Reeve said in a statement. "Monsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created," she said.
The resolution passed by the city body states that the company was the only manufacturer of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) from 1935 until they were banned in 1979. The contamination from PCBs--which cause a range of harmful effects on wildlife and humans and are categorized as probable human carcinogens--lingers, and it "has been found in sediments within the City of Portland in the Columbia Slough and the Willamette River," the resolution states.
"In our case there are PCBs widely distributed throughout Portland Harbor and that's one of the main reasons it was listed as a superfund site back in December of 2000," Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper, told local news KGW.
Portland joins six other West Coast cities--Seattle, Spokane, Berkeley, Oakland, San Diego and San Jose--to file such a suit. The seven cities will use the same two law firms for their separate suits.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.