Vermont schools sue Monsanto over toxic PCB contamination

Dozens of Vermont school districts have sued chemical giant Monsanto over toxic contamination in educational buildings from now-banned industrial chemicals known as PCBs.

Last year, Vermont became the first state in the country to require older schools get tested for polychlorinated biphenyls, which were used in building materials and electrical equipment before 1980.

More than 90 school districts filed the complaint on Friday in federal court. They're seeking to recover costs and damages because, under Vermont’s law, schools with high-enough contamination levels must reduce exposure. Removing the PCBs will be expensive, and certain districts may have to demolish buildings and replace them with new ones — which in total could cost them "hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars,” the lawsuit says.

The PCBs are present in the school buildings from caulking and glazing compounds, sealants, adhesives, and other construction materials.