PONY UP

Burlington Wants Monsanto to Pay for New School After Contamination

The Vermont school district says it will cost more than $190 million to tear down the old school and build a new one.

School officials in Burlington, Vermont, have filed a federal lawsuit demanding that chemical giant Monsanto cover the cost of building a new school after PCB contamination was found at the old one. The lawsuit, filed by the Burlington School District, says it will cost more than $190 million to tear down the old school and build a new one. Students at Burlington High School have been attending classes at a former Macy’s department store since PCBs were found in the school and soil during renovations. “Today’s filing brings us one step closer to holding the producer of these toxic chemicals accountable for the harm it has inflicted on our community,” Burlington Superintendent Tom Flanagan said in a statement Monday. Bayer, which now owns Monsanto, said it hopes the lawsuit will “shed light on the role of the state of Vermont, the Burlington School District and the manufacturers of the building products at issue in creating the perfect storm that resulted in unwarranted actions to abandon the school, move students to a converted Macy’s, cancel renovation plans and spend $165 million, more than twice the renovation cost, to build a new high school.” PCBs, now banned, were previously used in industrial supplies like paint, coolants, and sealants, along with other building materials.