The state of Washington, Monsanto and Monroe School District have been charged over a high level of toxic chemicals found in a learning center. The lawsuit has been filed by over forty females constituting of parents and teachers. They are blaming these three institutions for the contamination and its resulting poisoning at the Sky Valley Education Centre.
Children and teachers poisoned
The petitioners cite conditions such as skin peeling, seizure, and respiratory problems, among others as the effect of a chemical poison in the school. Some parents explain that their children always became sick in the school and felt better when they left. Some explain that their children developed asthma from a result of such poisoning.
Monsanto blamed
Monsanto appears as a defendant because it is the manufacture of the chemical in question, Polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs. The firm produced these products without warning the public of its harmful nature. The compound was outlawed in 1970 but remains in use to date.
State of Washington and Monroe School District‘s failure
The lawsuit points out that the state and the School district allowed continued use of the building an education facility despite their knowledge that it had PCB. It refers to a study by the state in 2006 and 2007 that revealed a high level of contamination in the building. Despite the requirements of the state law on safety, the school did not close its door.
A plethora of health issues
Several health issues are alleged to have resulted from this neglect. Some of them include breathing and cardiac problems, autoimmune, skin problems, thyroid and endocrine disorders and stunted development in children. Others include early onset of puberty, asthma, liver damage, stomach pain, vision impairment, and reproductive disorders.
A good school
The only reason why most parents had kept their children in the school is that it felt like a second home to the students. Such is because parents are required to take part in the daily lives of their children.
Defendants’’ response
In response to the lawsuit, the attorney of the Monroe School District provided an elaborate statement of the steps it has taken to ensure the safety of students in the facility. Monsanto on the other end only pointed out to the fact that when it produced PCBs, they were legal and so has no question to answer in the matter.
