Oakland receives millions in settlement over PCB contamination by defunct chemical firm

Oakland is one of 12 cities across the nation receiving millions of dollars after filing a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant Bayer and former chemical company Monsanto for its alleged involvement in contaminating waterways with forever chemicals.

The city on Dec. 20 announced its share of the $527.5 million settlement, which alleges that Monsanto, a now-defunct agrochemical company acquired by Bayer in 2016, produced polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, for 50 years despite knowing their detrimental effects on human health and the environment.