Paraquat MDL Judge Dismisses Public Nuisance Claims

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The judge overseeing the federal Paraquat multidistrict litigation has dismissed the public nuisance claims, ruling they fail because they are attacking the product itself, rather than any additional conduct that created a public nuisance.

However, in the Feb. 14 order, Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel ruled the claims are not untimely under certain states’ statutes of repose, and she refused to dismiss the claims for breach of warranty and consumer protection.

Paraquat dichloride is a synthetic chemical compound that has been widely used as an active ingredient in herbicide products sold in the United States …