The City of Redwood City is joining eight other cities and towns in San Mateo County in a lawsuit against Monsanto over the massive costs they are incurring to clean up polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) pollution in their jurisdictions and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The county is joined in the lawsuit against Monsanto by the cities and towns of Atherton, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, San Carlos, San Mateo, Woodside and Redwood City.
All of the plaintiffs are opting out of a proposed nationwide class-action settlement because it would have provided each of them with only a small fraction of what they need to spend to comply with regulations and prevent the further spread of PCBs throughout the Bay Area, leaving taxpayers out in the cold.
According to information from San Mateo County, PCBs are poisoning fish and wildlife, disrupting business and recreation, and threatening the health of residents throughout the area.
The lawsuit against Monsanto, which was filed in the San Mateo County Superior Court, alleges that Monsanto has known about health threats