Portland to Sue Monsanto over PCBs

Portland's City Council Wednesday voted unanimously to authorize the City Attorney to sue Monsanto Company to recover money spent cleaning up PCBs made by the company.

"Monsanto Company knew that PCBs were toxic to the natural environment and to fish, humans, and other living organisms but nonetheless continued to manufacture, sell and distribute PCBs," the city resolution states.

Monsanto was the sole manufacturer of PCBs in the United States from 1935 until they were banned in 1979.

The city's move comes as the Environmental protection Agency gets ready to release its clean-up plan for the Portland Harbor Superfund.

The EPA has ruled that Portland contributed to the pollution, which means it will likely be at least partially liable for the clean-up costs.

In preparing the resolution authorizing legal action, the city determined there were PCBs in the Superfund area.