The city of Spokane has filed a lawsuit against the international agrochemical giant Monsanto, alleging that the company sold chemicals for decades that it knew were a danger to human and environmental health.
The lawsuit, which does not specifically state what the city is seeking in monetary damages, also alleges that Monsanto is responsible for the high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the Spokane River.
Marlene Feist, the city’s utilities spokeswoman, called the suit “long-term litigation,” and noted that the city will spend $300 million to keep PCBs and other pollutants from entering the river in coming years.
In the 1990s the parent company of Monsanto divided into three separate entities: Monsanto, Solutia and Pharmacia. All three companies are named in Spokane's lawsuit.
Other U.S, cities seeking damages from Monsanto include San Diego, San Jose and Westport, Massachusetts.
The spawnlings of Monsanto discussed below:
Solutia Inc:
Solutia Inc. ... global manufacturer of performance materials and specialty chemicals including polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) interlayers for laminated glass, aftermarket window films, protective barrier and conductive films, and rubber processing chemicals, used in architectural, automotive, alternative energy, electronic devices, consumer and industrial applications. In July 2012, the company was acquired by Eastman Chemical Company.
Solutia's worldwide headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, USA, with regional headquarters located in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; São Paulo, Brazil; and Shanghai, China.
Solutia ... world's leading manufacturer of PVB, EVA, and TPU interlayers, custom-coated window and performance films, and chemicals for the rubber industry. In 2009, the company completed the sale of its nylon division, with closure of the sale in the second quarter 2009. In 2010, the company purchased Etimex-Solar and Novomatrix, further enhancing its portfolio of interlayer and film products.
The extensive history of Pharmacia:
Pharmacia company was founded in 1911 in Stockholm, Sweden by pharmacist Gustav Felix Grönfeldt at the Elgen Pharmacy. The company is named after the Greek word φαρμακεία, transliterated pharmakeia, which means 'sorcery'. In the company's early days, much of its profits were derived from the "miracle medicine" Phospho-Energon.
A part of Pharmacia merged with Amersham Life Science (U.K.) and took the name Amersham Pharmacia Biotech in 1997, went through name changes and other mergers, joining Monsanto in 1999 under its pharmaceutical division Searle. Various other cancerous and amoebalike permutations occurred which are far too complex for me to understand and explain, the ongoing inexplicableness of corporate law.
Multiple international locations, tightly incestuous breeding ... Good Luck, Spokane!