Monday, February 21, 2011

Exclusive Monsanto agrees clean-up of toxic Brofiscin quarry in Wales



Exclusive Monsanto agrees clean-up of toxic Brofiscin quarry in Wales

'I think they are just hoping it will wash away but with PCBs we just do not know what will happen. They are still there 46 years later and have not biodegraded,' said Gowan.

Monsanto has agreed to help clean-up a quarry in South Wales it is accused of polluting with a cocktail of toxic substances despite consistently refusing to accept liability, the Ecologist can reveal.

But the taxpayer could still end up meeting the estimated £2 million clean-up bill.

Monsanto has in the past refused to accept responsibility, saying it had contracted out waste disposal to third parties, who were told it was toxic. In a statement to the Ecologist the company still refuses to accept liability, but expressed a willingness to 'play a minor role' in cleaning up the site.

'When we are dealing with PCBs or doxins you are dealing with chemicals that have extremely high toxicity at tiny levels so if you do not have adequate treatment you are not going to be successful. Their solution only tackles run-off on the surface and not the real problem which is waste buried underground getting through to the acquifer. The real question is how potent is that leaking liquid? No-one knows because they have not investigated,' he said.

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