Monsanto Ordered to Pay $93 Million to Small Town for Poisoning Citizens

[Judi Lynn]

Monsanto Ordered to Pay $93 Million to Small Town for Poisoning Citizens
by Christina Sarich
July 25th, 2014
Updated 07/25/2014 at 2:05 am

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 settlement was approved last year, but details were worked out only weeks ago as to how the funds were to be spent.

The settlement will require Monsanto to do the following:

•$9 million will be spent to clean dioxin contaminated dust from 4500 homes.

•$21 million will be spent to test to see if people have been poisoned with dioxin.

•Citizens will be monitored for such poisoning for 30 years, not just a few months.

•An additional $63 million is to be allotted if additional tests for dioxin contamination testing is necessary.

•Anyone who lived in the Nitro area between Jan. 1, 1948, and Sept. 3, 2010 will be tested for dioxin. Although they must show proof they lived in the area, they will be eligible for testing even if they no longer live in Nitro.

More:
http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-ordered-pay-93-million-small-town-poisoned-herbicide/#ixzz38hIyS6oL

[NV Whino]

1. I hope this judgment cannot be appealed.

[Enthusiast]

6. Me too.

[Nihil]

17. Don't worry, we'd soon find out if that was happening ...

... as all of the usual suspects will suddenly be posting their pro-GMO crap
all over the board again whereas they stay mysteriously silent when their
talking-points aren't up to debating unpleasant (to them) facts ...

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Lotsa luck collecting this one.

Appeals should last 10 years at least.

[progressoid]

4. I'm afraid so.

[tech3149]

3. Another "cost of doing business" settelment

WVA has been a sacrifice zone for at least 150 years. What was that line from Blood Diamonds? "At least we don't have oil". Every area around the globe where there are natural resources that can provide a profit will be exploited for maximum profit whatever the cost to those who live there.
Every area of the world that has resources to be extracted for a profit will always be sacrificed and those that profit will walk away from any responsibility until we change our economic paradigm.
I grew up in an old coal mining town that my grandfather raised his family while working at the local coal mine. I love the are and am thankful to be back after so many years away. The mines that paid my grandfathers modest pay walked away in 1932 but it wasn't until 1995 that the federal government did their meager best to mitigate the damage done while they were operating.
I know there are so many issues to support these days but please consider this one.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5959
Mountaintop removal is killing people in this sacrifice zone There aren't many people I know who have to deal with this reality but there's one thing I know is true. We are all downwind or downstream from someone else's shit. Pollution and poison doesn't recognize any border.

[Initech]

5. More corporations going wild thanks to deregulation.

[Enthusiast]

7. Precisely.

[mother earth]

8. Grant the fuckers personhood, but damned if they ever are behind bars for murder, the bastards

should be outlawed in this country. Rumsfeld is counting profits while he professes patriotism.

SCOTUS is shameful for allowing this lawless carnage.

WE the people are expendable collateral damage in the eyes of profit at all costs...enabled and abetted by our highest court.

[emsimon33]

10. Yep! You nailed it!

[MoonchildCA]

9. Whoa, whaddya know?

I lived there in the 7th grade... 1975-ish.

[blackspade]

11. Well, They are not really paying Nitro, rather service providers for the tests.

And no compensation for the folks that may have been poisoned.

93 million is a drop in the bucket.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. Wow, the paid Monsanto advocates...

haven't made their way to this thread yet. K&R

[Judi Lynn]

15. Odd, isn't it? I just looked in to check, shocked to see it, too. n/t

[Nihil]

16. Maybe they get penalised whenever the company loses face?

Or maybe they are just desperate for this thread to drop out of sight
(and hence out of mind) so they can go back to their usual stream of BS.

[KurtNYC]

13. Um...$84 mil for testing versus only $9 mil for clean up?

That seems backward.

[arikara]

14. I will K&R anything

that takes on and beats the vile Monsatano.