Bayer’s Monsanto Sued by L.A. Over Toxic Chemicals in Waters (1)

Monsanto Co., a unit of Bayer AG, is responsible for widespread contamination of Los Angeles waterways and now must take steps to abate pollution and reimburse the city for prior cleanup costs, a suit filed Monday by the city attorney alleges.

The company knew for decades that polychlorinated biphenyls were highly toxic, but misled the public, regulators, and customers by maintaining that its PCB formulations weren’t environmentally hazardous and didn’t require any special precautions for disposal, the lawsuit claims.

In doing so, Monsanto created a “vast public nuisance in Los Angeles that the City has been addressing and will ...