DC sues chemical manufacturer over pesticide pollution

BY DREW COSTLEY
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Thursday against the company Velsicol Chemical, LLC, claiming it violated city environmental laws by polluting a major waterway, the Anacostia River, and its surrounding environment for decades. A complaint filed by DC Attorney General Karl Racine alleges Velsicol produced a pesticide that contained chlordane and marketed it to low-income homeowners in the city from 1945 to 1988, when the chemical was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency. It was found to cause potential health effects in humans, including tremors, convulsions and cancer.