Title
Resolution adopting the Lake County Board Guidelines for Use of Monsanto Environmental Contamination Settlement Funds.
Staff Summary
• Lake County received a one-time allocation of $7.5 million in April 2023 from the City of Long Beach v. Monsanto class action settlement regarding polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in impaired waterbodies.
• The settlement compensates eligible local governments for restitution and remediation, including mitigation of contaminated property and stormwater systems.
• Funds are not legally restricted to a specific use, allowing the County to align investments with environmental, infrastructure, and community priorities.
• The County appropriated the funds for an undesignated use and initiated staff research and benchmarking of peer jurisdictions to inform recommended uses and program design.
• Staff developed guidelines to establish a transparent, equitable, and outcomes-driven framework directing the use of Lake County’s Monsanto settlement funds toward measurable environmental, public health, and community benefits in the Lake Michigan watershed.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Lake County was a participant in the City of Long Beach v Monsanto Class Action litigation regarding PCB contamination in certain impaired waterbodies; and
WHEREAS, Lake County received $7,500,000 in April 2023 as a result of the class action settlement; and
WHEREAS, the settlement agreement did not include limitations on the use of settlement funds; and
WHEREAS, in November 2023, Lake County appropriated the settlement funds for an undesignated use; and
WHEREAS, staff developed the Lake County Board Guidelines for Use of Monsanto Environmental Contamination Settlement Funds to establish a transparent, equitable, and outcomes-driven framework directing the use of Lake County’s Monsanto settlement funds toward measurable environmental, public health, and community benefits in the Lake Michigan watershed.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that the attached Lake County Board Guidelines for Use of Monsanto Environmental Contamination Settlement Funds are hereby adopted.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on November 10, 2026.