NC State University filed a lawsuit in the Wake County Superior Court against chemical company Monsanto concerning Monsanto’s PCB usage in the building materials used to construct Poe Hall on Oct. 1. 

Monsanto developed and marketed the building materials used to construct Poe Hall. NC State closed Poe Hall in November 2023 due to dangerously high PCB counts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined that PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, are man-made environmental contaminants. They have been shown to cause cancer and other adverse health effects, leading to a 1979 ban on PCB production in the U.S.

NC State’s lawsuit says that 1971 Monsanto — referred to as “Old Monsanto” in the lawsuit — is liable for using the PCBs.

“Old Monsanto was not merely a remote manufacturer whose materials found their way to NC State’s jobsite indirectly through the commerce stream. Rather, Old Monsanto, in the course of its business of designing, manufacturing, marketing, selling, and distributing PCBs and PCB-containing materials, supplied information … including [information] that [the PCBs] were suitable, stable, non‑volatile, and appropriate for use in building materials for occupied structures,” the lawsuit said.

Monsanto was previously sued due to their Roundup weed killer. 

April Norris, the Interim Chief Communications and Marketing Officer of NC State gave The Nubian Message the following statement: 

“The safety of our community is the highest priority at NC State. Since closing Poe Hall in November 2023, the university has worked diligently to understand the building’s environment, answer our community’s most pressing questions and develop plans for the building’s remediation and renovation. Now, the university needs to proceed with remediation, as required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The lawsuit seeks damages to remediate Poe Hall, plus punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. The lawsuit also seeks indemnification from Monsanto for any possible future liability that may arise from personal injury claims. 

“This lawsuit is about responsibility and accountability for the clean up of this building so that we can get our students, faculty and staff in the College of Education back to learning and working in the heart of Central Campus.

“Although this legal action is unrelated to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluation, we will release NIOSH’s report when we receive it. If future updates are shared regarding this litigation, they will be posted on NC State’s Office of General Counsel website.”

This is a developing story.