Monsanto Wins Appeal to Keep Nevada PCB Suit in Federal Court

Former workers at a Las Vegas county government building must litigate claims that Monsanto Co. contaminated the site with polychlorinated biphenyls in federal court, the Ninth Circuit ruled.

The plaintiffs’ claims involve “injuries allegedly caused by toxic chemicals that were distributed nationwide,” meaning the principal injuries resulting from Monsanto’s alleged conduct didn’t occur in Nevada, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said in a reversal Monday.

The Class Action Fairness Act requires the principal injuries from the alleged conduct of each defendant to have occurred in the relevant state for the local controversy exception to apply. But ...