Must-read recap: The New Lede's top stories
Conflict of interest alleged in Roundup case; nuclear power plant hearing; PFAS in firefighting foam and testicular cancer; PCB-polluting companies blamed for child's cancer; historic climate lawsuit.
Conflict of interest alleged in Roundup case in Monsanto’s home town
Lawyers representing a man who blames his cancer on exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer are crying foul over what they say are close personal ties between a lead Monsanto lawyer and a special magistrate helping oversee the Roundup litigation.
In an Aug. 17 court filing, the plaintiffs’ attorneys asked for St. Louis County special master Robert Blitz to be disqualified from his role in the litigation because of an “appearance of impropriety” and questions about his impartiality.
A hearing on the matter is set for Tuesday.
There are dozens of plaintiffs named in the case, and all allege that exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). (Read the rest of the story.)
Critical hearing looms in battle over California’s last nuclear power plant
Opponents of a nuclear power plant in California face a key court hearing this week, a potential turning point in a long-running battle over the fate of the controversial facility.
The environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE) is set to square off against Pacific Gas & Electric Power Co. (PG&E) in an effort to keep alive the group’s legal challenge to PG&E’s continued operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which is located on the coast roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
FOE filed suit in April in San Francisco County Superior Court alleging that PG&E is violating an agreement it signed with the group in 2016 pledging to fully retire the plant – the last nuclear power plant in the state – by 2025. Now, with the support of state and federal officials, the utility is seeking approval from regulators to keep the plant running until 2045.
PG&E is asking the court to stay or dismiss the FOE lawsuit. Both sides will air their arguments on the issue Monday morning in San Francisco County Superior Court. (Read the rest of the story.)
PFAS in firefighting foam linked to testicular cancer in new study
A study of over 1,000 Air Force servicemen shows that exposure to firefighting foam containing PFAS may be linked to a higher risk of developing testicular cancer.
The research, led by scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a federally funded research center, adds to a collection of scientific work investigating the links between certain kinds of PFAS and a range of human health harms.
The new study specifically looked at PFAS as an ingredient in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used on military bases, and analyzed PFAS exposures of Air Force servicemen who worked regularly with AFFF for years.
The findings may give new credence to mounting lawsuits from military veterans claiming PFAS exposure in firefighting foam made them sick while manufacturers hid the health risks. Thousands of other lawsuits are pending against PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont, among other companies, alleging they spread harmful PFAS throughout the environment despite knowing of risks to human health. (Read the rest of the story.)
GE, Bayer blamed for child’s cancer in a community awash in PCB pollution
A Massachusetts mother filed a lawsuit on Tuesday blaming widespread PCB pollution by General Electric (GE), Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG, and several other companies for causing her 9-year-old son to develop leukemia and suffer repeated debilitating medical treatment.
Crystal Czerno alleges, among other things, that GE knowingly contaminated her son Carter’s elementary school and playground with PCB waste while downplaying the harm it could cause. The school is located in the town of Pittsfield, just north of a GE facility that made electrical transformers containing PCBS for more than 40 years. PCB-laden soil from the GE site was spread over the school grounds.
The lawsuit accuses the companies of using the community as a “dumping ground” for “toxic and cancerous” chemicals.
“As a mom I am supposed to protect my babies and I must now live with the fact that I moved them into a home and a school that put them in direct danger,” Czerno said. “My son Carter has paid the price.” (Read the rest of the story.)
Youth win historic climate lawsuit against Montana
A group of young people who sued Montana officials for failing to adequately address climate change have prevailed in what observers say is a historic legal challenge.
Last week, Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Kathy Seeley ruled that the 16 plaintiffs in the case, Held v. State of Montana, have a fundamental right to a clean and healthful environment, including a stable climate system, under the Montana constitution. The judge found that the state was contributing to environmental degradation and climate harm in violation of this right.
The case is the first-ever constitutional climate trial in the country, pitting youth inheriting climate problems against the government leaders they blame for the dire legacy. The plaintiffs in the case contended that Montana officials have been turning a blind eye to climate pollution by continuing to issue permits for fossil fuel projects, including expansion of coal mining. (Read the rest of the story.)