Document oDpw6EwGaaKbp87mE33jvrJM8

PRESS .QUERY COMPANY (OpUnit or Corporate): MIC SUBJECT: OCP at Sturgeon REPORTER & MEDIA: Liz Forrestal, Chemical Week (314) 773-1867 TIME & DATE: 5 :00 p.m., July 18, 1979 QUESTION & RESPONSE: Reporter asked for background on the six Sturgeon OCP suits. A. As you know, we don't comment directly on litigation that has been filed against us. However, we have publicly said that we intend to defend oux'selves vigorously against any and all suits arising from the accident at Sturgeon. For your background and not for__direct attribution to Monsanto Company, the approximately $250M generally reported is, of course, huge and represents aggregate claims against four defendents . . . not just Monsanto. The specific damages sought against Monsanto represent only a small fraction of this reported sum. Of that fraction, most of the claims are for punitive, rather than alleged actual damages (explained difference) . Q. The Boone County Court says five or six suits have been filed. Are you surprised? How many suits are there? Who is suing? A. We've seen the paper work on three suits. I'm not sure whether there are five or six. All that I know of have been filed in Boone County Court. All suits we are involved in are by Sturgeon area people. Another suit is coming from a man who was hired by Western Environmental Services, the clean-up contractor to the railroad. He is not a Sturgeon resident. Q. Who owned the OCP, I get conflicting stories on whether Monsanto or Reichhold owned the O C P . A . Monsanto owned the O C P . It was on route to a customer. SOURCE OF ANSWER F - A * Provorny HAN D L E D BY: R. C. Isham COOS42 * . < * * Press. Query - OCP Page 2 1.2, 197 9 _y1 Q.*J How dangerous is 31 ppt dioxin in blood? A. I don't.know, I'm not a physician. Why don't you ask the EPA? Source of Answer: Position book y