NEWS
Monsanto hit by PCB award
A jury has ordered Bayer subsidiary Monsanto to pay $ 73 million in compensatory damages and $ 784 million in punitive damages to nine people at Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe Washington State , for health damage caused by polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs ) it supplied .
The PCBs were used in fire safety fluid that leaked from light fixtures at the school seven to 18 years ago , causing the plaintiffs neurological , endocrine system and other concerns , the suit alleged . The jury found that the materials were not safe and did not contain adequate warnings .
Monsanto described the amount awarded as “ constitutionally excessive ” and said it will move to have the verdict overturned or reduced . The US Supreme Court has previously said that punitive damages should generally be capped at nine times compensatory damages ; this is 11 times more .
The company had ceased producing the materials in question in 1977 , two years before the EPA banned the manufacture of PCBs . It claimed that the school district had
PCB contamination is widespread in Washington State
been advised repeatedly that the lighting systems needed to be replaced and that the evidence , including blood , air and other tests , demonstrates that plaintiffs were not exposed to unsafe levels of PCBs , which could not have caused their alleged injuries .
In 2020 , Monsanto paid Washington State $ 95 million for damages from PCBs caused to its natural resources . Other settlements have subsequently been reached with Oregon , for nearly $ 700 million , as well as Pennsylvania and Virginia .
Sunliquid plant to close
Clariant is to close its Sunliquid bioethanol plant in Podari , Romania . This followed a review that concluded that the economics of the plant could not justify the additional capital expenditure needed to continue the ramp-up .
The company will also downsize the related activities of the Biofuels & Derivatives business line at three sits in Germany . The required capabilities to maintain the technology and to fulfil existing contractual obligations will be kept .
Podari plant at night
Clariant expects to incur costs of about € 64 – 96 million , and about € 120 million more at EBIT level , including a noncash impairment to the current asset value of the Podari plant and other remaining assets . In all , it expects a cash impact of around € 120 – 150 million in 2024 .
The plant was completed in October 2021 , with the aim of producing about 50,000 tonnes / year of “ almost carbonneutral ” cellulosic ethanol from 250,000 tonnes / year of agricultural residues sourced in the vicinity of Podari . Most was targeted for fuel blending , but Clariant also saw opportunities in biobased chemicals and sustainable aviation fuel .
Production began in Q2 2022 but the plant failed to achieve its targeted yields and other operational parameters on an industrial scale . As a result , Clariant took an impairment of about € 241 million in December 2022 .
16 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981