Monsanto agrees to $160 million settlement with Seattle over pollution in the Duwamish River

abcnews.go.com:

Ending an eight-year legal battle, chemical giant Monsanto has agreed to a $160-million settlement with Seattle for its part in polluting the Lower Duwamish River with toxins that posed a threat to humans, fish and wildlife

SEATTLE — Ending an eight-year legal battle, chemical giant Monsanto has agreed to a $160-million settlement with Seattle for its part in polluting a river that runs through the heart of the city with toxins that posed a threat to humans, fish and wildlife, the city attorney's office said Thursday.

“We all play a role in protecting our environment and I am glad that Monsanto will contribute to this important environmental cleanup," City Attorney Ann Davison said in a news release. It's the largest single-city settlement Monsanto has paid, she said.

The Duwamish River cuts through Seattle, emptying into Puget Sound just south of downtown. Water samples collected from the Lower Duwamish detected polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which are man-made chemical compounds that were manufactured by Monsanto, according to the city's lawsuit.

Although Monsanto stopped manufacturing PCBs in 1977, the chemicals continued to exist in paints, caulking and sealants on buildings, Davison said. As a result, stormwater flowing into the Lower Duwamish River has been continually contaminated with PCBs.

Seattle sued Monsanto in 2016, saying the company “was well aware” that PCBs were toxic to animals, fish and the environment, but it continued to manufacture its products.

“While the scientific community and Monsanto knew that PCBs were toxic and becoming a global contaminant, Monsanto repeatedly misrepresented these facts, telling governmental entities the exact opposite — that the compounds were not toxic and that