Virginia receives $80 million settlement for environmental contamination

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares reached a settlement agreement of $80 million with the Monsanto Company for environmental contamination caused by polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.

The carcinogenic chemical compound was used in industrial and consumer products until they were federally banned in 1979.

Monsanto produced 99% of PCBs in America from the 1930s to 1977.

Over 1,300 river miles, 75,000 lake acres, and over 2,000 square miles of bays and estuaries were impaired by PCBs.

AG Miyares said “PCBs have negatively impacted nearly every living thing in Virginia. They have harmed public health, our land, wildlife, fish and our beloved waterways like the Chesapeake Bay.”

The settlement funds will be used for environmental studies, stream restoration, drinking water improvements, and other environmental causes.

To view the AG’s statement and a video of his remarks, click here.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.