As Seattle Secures $160M Monsanto Settlement for Duwamish River Cleanup, Advocates Call for Accountability

by Alex Garland

Seattle is one of several municipalities that have secured a settlement from Monsanto/Bayer, with $160 million allocated to address polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in the Duwamish River. Following years of legal battles, the funds are intended to reduce stormwater pollution and support community education. However, some community advocates are raising questions about how these funds will be spent.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), the city department in charge of Duwamish River cleanup and restoration, will manage the settlement funds. SPU plans to use the money for PCB tracing, stormwater treatment infrastructure, community education on pollution sources, and sediment cleanup. In an Aug. 27 statement to South Seattle Emerald, SPU’s acting public information officer Brad Wong said that 75% of the funds have yet to be allocated, emphasizing that the money will be used for “opportunistic work rather than being immediately allocated for specific projects.”

PCBs, toxic chemicals once used in industrial products, have long polluted the Duwamish River, contributing to its designation as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001. This settlement marks a significant victory for Seattle, which has battled decades of industrial pollution and environmental degradation. Monsanto has settled similar lawsuits with cities across the country, including Spokane, Washington; San Diego, California; and Portland, Oregon. Yet, the ultimate impact of this settlement depends on how the funds are used.

According to SPU, a portion of the settlement will go toward attorney fees for outside counsel, who secured the deal with a legal fee cap of 25% — lower than the typical 30% to 35% in similar cases. Wong stated that “SPU is committed to using settlement funds on stormwater pollution reduction work in the Duwamish Valley,” and added that the funds would be “set aside in a separate account to track spending.”

For Paulina López, executive director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC), the settlement is a step forward, but one that requires close monitoring. “When you're asking if the money is going to go to the community, I think they have some plans to do community education on sources of pollution,” López told South Seattle Emerald. “But what we, as a community, are pushing for is more technical support and expertise to understand what’s happening with PCB removal and future cleanup.”

López and other community members have long advocated for transparency and accountability in the Duwamish River cleanup process. Historically, relationships between SPU and community organizations have been strained, with closed-door discussions limiting public trust. However, López acknowledges a shift in recent years, particularly following catastrophic flooding events, which have pushed the City and local organizations toward closer collaboration. “They’ve always been a little fearful, I would say, for lack of a better word, of our organization. But I think they’re willing to work with us now,” López said.

The Duwamish River, which flows through one of Seattle’s most culturally and economically diverse communities, has borne the brunt of industrial pollution for over a century. Contamination in the area has disproportionately affected low-income and BIPOC residents. For López and other advocates, this settlement is a rare opportunity to address both environmental damage and long-standing injustices.

“We’ve been working towards transparency and accountability, particularly from the responsible parties involved in the river cleanup. This settlement is a win, but we need to ensure it brings more fairness and healthy standards to the community,” López said.

A key focus for community groups is capital investment in stormwater treatment technology. López highlighted that the settlement could fund essential infrastructure upgrades, such as improved stormwater systems, and potentially support efforts to adapt to rising sea levels, which pose an increasing threat to the region. “We may also need funding for sea level rise adaptation, which could include purchasing land for those efforts,” López said.

As cleanup efforts gain momentum, with in-water sediment cleanup scheduled to begin this fall, community leaders hope for more clarity from SPU about how the funds will be distributed. For the Duwamish River community, the fight for environmental justice continues — and with $160 million on the line, the stakes are higher than ever.

For more information about the cleanup schedule, please visitLDWG Construction News.

Alex Garland is a photojournalist and reporter. With a degree in emergency administration and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, Alex spent his early professional career as a GIS analyst for FEMA. Follow him on Twitter.