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Key Moments in the history of Benlate

By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published September 24, 2006

1987: The DuPont Co. introduces fungicide Benlate DF.

1989: DuPont recalls batches of Benlate found to be contaminated with an herbicide called atrazine.

March 1991: Benlate is recalled by DuPont a second time. Some farmers had suspected the fungicide was somehow flawed beyond the atrazine. DuPont says it has no proof the product is flawed, though it pays farmers for losses.

May 7, 1992: DuPont says its research proves that Benlate cannot cause lasting soil contami-nation as some farmers allege. State scientists remain unconvinced.

November 1992: DuPont halts voluntary payments for farmers' losses and announces its research proves Benlate is safe.

September 1993: DuPont loses first Benlate trial against Arkansas tomato growers who win $10.25-million. (The first case to have gone to trial in Georgia was settled before a verdict was returned a month earlier.)

February 1994: DuPont wins first Benlate court case against Lakeland blueberry growers who sought $5.5-million in damages.

April 18, 1994: Florida scientists say they have proved Benlate was contaminated with a powerful plant-killing herbicide called sulfonylureas. DuPont says the research is wrong.

April 22, 1994: DuPont settles 220 Benlate lawsuits for $214-million. At this point, DuPont has settled about half the 560 lawsuits filed against it.

June 2006: U.S. Supreme Court refuses to consider appeal by DuPont in one of numerous Benlate cases pending. This case involved Hawaiian growers who settled with DuPont before learning, they say, the company withheld evidence that Benlate was contaminated with an herbicide. The court ruling allows the farmers to bring racketeering and fraud charges against DuPont.

Source: Times research

[Last modified September 24, 2006, 16:34:32]