Milberg Law Firm Investigating PCBs at N.C. State's Poe Hall

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Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC

Feb 07, 2024, 17:31 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman ("Milberg") are looking into the discovery of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at North Carolina State University's Poe Hall and how the chemicals may be related to cancer cases.

N.C. State announced in November 2023 that it was closing Poe Hall, which houses the College of Education and the psychology department, after preliminary environmental testing revealed the presence of PCBs, a group of synthetic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases.

The results of further testing showed that five rooms in Poe Hall were contaminated with PCBs at levels up to 38 times higher than Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for building materials. Aroclor 1262, a PCB mixture made by Monsanto, was found in some of the materials tested.

PCBs were widely used in commercial construction for decades, until their production was banned in 1979. Monsanto was the source of 99% of PCBs used in U.S. industry.

EPA lists PCBs as probable human carcinogens. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies PCBs as "carcinogenic to humans." A 2020 study of nearly 800 North Carolina women found that PCBs might increase the risk of death from breast cancer.

Questions are now being asked about the role of PCBs in a cluster of cancer cases connected to Poe Hall. WRAL News has confirmed 40 cases of cancer in people who spent time in the building, including more than a dozen breast cancer cases and several deaths.

WRAL also reports that N.C. State officials asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to shut down a Health Hazard Evaluation into the breast cancer cluster at the university. CDC says that NCSU's general counsel withdrew the request for the evaluation, but N.C. State disputes that claim.

"Right now, there are more questions than answers about PCBs on the N.C. State campus," said James DeMay of Milberg's Raleigh, North Carolina office. "Is the university going to test additional buildings? What really happened with the CDC's Health Hazard Evaluation? How many people may have been injured by the PCBs at Poe Hall? These are some of the matters we are looking into."

The firm encourages anyone with concerns about the N.C. state campus, cancer, and PCBs to reach out for an explanation of their legal rights.

About Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC:
For over 50 years, Milberg and its affiliates have been fighting to protect victims' rights and have recovered over $50 billion for clients. A pioneer in class action litigation, Milberg is widely recognized as a leader in defending the rights of victims of corporate wrongdoing.

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SOURCE Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC