An Update on Litigation Related to Poe Hall

This morning, NC State University filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court against the chemical company Monsanto. 

We took this action because Monsanto manufactured and marketed PCB-containing mixtures used in the construction of Poe Hall. The building has remained vacant for nearly two years and must be remediated. This lawsuit is about responsibility and accountability for the cleanup of this building so we can get our students, faculty and staff in the College of Education back to learning and working in the heart of Central Campus.

Even more importantly, members of our campus community who worked or attended classes in Poe Hall continue to experience concern and uncertainty. In addition to seeking damages for Poe Hall’s cleanup, our lawsuit also seeks indemnification from Monsanto for any possible future liability from personal injury claims.

We do not intend to wait for the lawsuit to conclude, which could take years, before proceeding with remediation at Poe Hall. A vacant, PCB-contaminated building should not sit idle on campus indefinitely, and our instructions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are to proceed with remediation.

We will continue to keep the campus community informed about this lawsuit and about Poe Hall generally, including when we receive the full report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health presenting its evaluation related to health concerns. To read the full text of our court filing, please visit this page.