WILMINGTON — A woman who attended Twin Valley Elementary School in Wilmington claims in a lawsuit against Monsanto that she was exposed to toxic Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) at the school that were manufactured by the company and developed health problems as a result, including lymphoma. Her attorneys from Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman ("Milberg") are also looking to represent others with PCB-related injuries linked to Vermont schools.
In March 2023, testing revealed elevated levels of airborne PCBs, a group of man-made chemicals commonly used in building materials and electrical equipment before 1980, in several rooms at Twin Valley Elementary. Monsanto began making PCBs nearly 100 years ago and manufactured commercial PCBs that were used in schools like Twin Valley through the 1970s.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, long-term exposure to PCBs can cause cancer as well as immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine system effects.
Plaintiff Kristy Crawford, who attended Twin Valley Elementary from 1982 to 1990, has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and reproductive issues, according to a news release from Milberg. Her lawsuit contends that Monsanto knew about the dangers of PCBs since the 1930s but ignored the findings to benefit their bottom line.
U.S. Navy testing of PCB products in the 1950s determined that they were too toxic for use in submarines. But despite its own data and government data on PCB toxicity, Monsanto failed to warn customers about the hazards and continued to promote PCBs in school construction projects across the country, including schools in Vermont.
"Cases like this show why the name 'Monsanto' has become synonymous with corporate wrongdoing," said Milberg's Gary M. Klinger. "This is just the latest example of them callously ignoring science and public health in the name of profits."
In 2020, the Vermont Department of Health reported PCB contamination at Burlington High School, where PCB levels in some areas were 10 times higher than EPA recommended indoor air levels. The following year, Vermont passed a first-in-the-country initiative to test hundreds of schools for PCBs. Testing began in spring 2022 and is scheduled to take place through 2025.
Milberg is looking to representing those with PCB exposure injuries from Burlington High School, North Country Union High School (Newport), Green Mountain Union High School (Chester), Bellow Falls Union High School (Westminster), and Oak Grove School (Brattleboro).
"The list of schools with PCB contamination will likely grow as testing is completed," said Milberg's Zachary Howerton, a graduate of Vermont Law School. "We encourage all current and former students, parents, staff, and teachers to contact us and learn how they can hold Monsanto accountable. We want you to know that we hear your concerns about possible PCB exposure, and we're here for you."
