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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gonzaga to host talk on PCBs, Monsanto’s role

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, left, introduces Gov. Jay Inslee at a news conference where Ferguson announced a lawsuit against agrochemical giant Monsanto over pollution from PCBs, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Seattle. The Gonzaga University School of Law will host a workshop and talk on PCBs, Monsanto and the Spokane River at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27.,in the Barbieri Courtroom at the Law School, 721 N. Cincinnati St. (Elaine Thompson / AP)

The Gonzaga University School of Law will host a workshop and talk on PCBs, Monsanto and the Spokane River at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27.,in the Barbieri Courtroom at the Law School, 721 N. Cincinnati St.

Peter von Stackelberg, an investigative journalist, writer and publisher who contributed to the “Poison Papers” project, will discuss his contention that Monsanto produced and sold the toxic industrial chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – even years after learning that they posed hazards to public health and the environment.

PCBs are long-lived, man-made organic compounds that were banned by Congress in 1979 after being linked to health risks in humans and to environmental harm.

The event will also feature Lee First, the Spokane Riverkeeper’s river toxics outreach coordinator, who will discuss PCBs, their effects on human health and the extent of PCB contamination in the Spokane River.

Rick Eichstaedt, director of Gonzaga’s Environmental Law and Land Use Clinic and a GU Law professor, will discuss the litigation brought by the city of Spokane, the state of Washington and other entities against Monsanto seeking financial relief to pay for the cleanup of PCBs in lakes and rivers nationwide, including the Spokane River.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the event, contact Eichstaedt at (509) 251-1424 or eichstaedt@gonzaga.edu.