- District of Columbia AG Karl Racine sued pesticide manufacturer Velsicol Chemical LLC over allegations that the company’s predecessor violated DC environmental laws and common law by manufacturing, distributing, marketing, and selling a chemical it knew to be toxic and misrepresenting the danger it posed to the public.
- According to the complaint, Velsicol’s predecessor entity, Velsicol Chemical Corporation, manufactured and sold the insecticide chlordane until it was banned by the EPA in 1988 due its carcinogenic properties. The AG alleged that Velsicol knew chlordane was toxic to humans beginning in 1959 but omitted this information from the public and continued to manufacture and sell the chemical for nearly 30 years. According to the AG, chlordane builds up in fish, birds, and mammals over time and has been found in food, air, water, soil, and sediment, resulting in extensive and lasting contamination to DC’s environment and natural resources.
- The complaint seeks injunctive and declaratory relief, damages, investigation costs and attorneys fees, disgorgement, civil money penalties, and any other relief the Court deems just and proper.