N.C. State sues Monsanto over toxic Poe Hall chemicals

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is currently investigating the building to evaluate its health hazards.

Driving the news: N.C. State's lawsuit alleges that Monsanto marketed these materials in the 1970s as non-toxic, despite knowing they were toxic.

• An analysis of the building, N.C. State says, shows that Monsanto's PCBs were diffused through Poe Hall's HVAC system.

State of play: Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, ceased manufacturing PCBs in 1977, but it has been sued over their use by other entities, including the Burlington School District in Vermont in 2022.

The other side: Monsanto said the lawsuit "lacks merit," and denied blame for any chemical contamination.

• "Any PCB-containing building products used in Poe Hall or other buildings on campus were manufactured, sold and installed by sophisticated third-parties, and maintained by the University," a statement from the company read.

Zoom in: N.C. State's lawsuit seeks a large financial restitution from Monsanto (potentially more than $100 million) to remediate Poe Hall.

• However, N.C. State plans to begin remediation work on the building before the lawsuit's conclusion.
• The lawsuit also calls for any future liability related to contamination from the building to be Monsanto's responsibility.

What they're saying: "This lawsuit is about responsibility and accountability for the cleanup of this building so we can get our students back to learning," N.C. State Chancellor Kevin Howell said in a statement.