28 votes

Lawsuit over polychlorinated biphenyl contamination filed by Massachusetts mother of boy with leukemia. Lawsuit targets GE, Monsanto, Bayer and others.

Posted by boxer_dogs_dance
Tags: pollution, usa.ma, polychlorinated biphenyl, waste.toxic, cancer, leukemia, legal, lawsuits, general electric, monsanto, bayer, author.carey gillam, source.thenewlede
https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/08/ge-bayer-blamed-for-childs-cancer-in-a-community-awash-in-pcb-pollution/

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Title
GE, Bayer, blamed for child's cancer in a community awash in PCB pollution
Authors
Carey Gillam
Published
Aug 15 2023
Word count
1090 words

5 comments

  1. [2]
    arch
    Link
    For anyone else confused by the acronym like I was, PCB in this context stands for polychlorinated biphenyls and were banned in the U.S. in 1976. They were used in manufacturing of many products...

    For anyone else confused by the acronym like I was, PCB in this context stands for polychlorinated biphenyls and were banned in the U.S. in 1976. They were used in manufacturing of many products from copy paper, to coolant fluids for electrical equipment (I assume the latter is how they wound up contaminating waterways for decades. It appears pollution with these chemicals is still a huge issue in the United States, and the contamination that this particular lawsuit is regarding is likely related to the Pittsfield Superfund site.

    10 votes
    1. mycketforvirrad
      Link Parent
      Un-acronymed the title for better understanding.

      Un-acronymed the title for better understanding.

      7 votes
  2. boxer_dogs_dance
    Link
    As an aside, if anyone wants to read a true story of a similar lawsuit in the US, A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr is a good read. It's about the case against W R Grace and co....

    As an aside, if anyone wants to read a true story of a similar lawsuit in the US, A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr is a good read. It's about the case against W R Grace and co. https://archive.org/details/civilaction1995harr

    4 votes
  3. [3]
    Comment removed by site admin
    Link
    1. lackofaname
      Link Parent
      I've been out of the field of environmental studies for a long time, but it goes beyond multi-contaminant exposure. Part of the problem is regulation is constantly playing catch-up with emerging...

      I've been out of the field of environmental studies for a long time, but it goes beyond multi-contaminant exposure. Part of the problem is regulation is constantly playing catch-up with emerging pollutants.

      The cycle:
      Company produces 'useful' chemical -> Uses it -> Negative environmental/health effects are observed -> Regulation, I guess -> Replacement chemicals developed...

      Instead of:
      Company produces 'useful' chemical -> Rigorous safety testing against environmental/human health -> Ban use OR place appropriate safeguards -> Use as deemed appropriate

      Here's an old Washington post article on the topic. A cursory google search yields similar news topics up to 2018, so I'm not particularly optimistic that the loopholes have been filled, but I'm also including the disclaimer that I'm not trying to pretend to be an expert on these chemical regulations :)

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/19/our-broken-congresss-latest-effort-to-fix-our-broken-toxic-chemicals-law/

      4 votes
    2. boxer_dogs_dance
      Link Parent
      Thanks for the complement. We probably share similar interests. It is fun to share and see how people respond and what their thoughts are.

      Thanks for the complement. We probably share similar interests. It is fun to share and see how people respond and what their thoughts are.

      1 vote