DOVER, Del.—A federal judicial panel has ruled that pretrial proceedings in several lawsuits involving the DuPont Co.'s weed killer Imprelis will be consolidated in Philadelphia.
The panel noted in a recent order that the Environmental Protection Agency office investigating Imprelis is based in Philadelphia, and that the federal courthouse there is close to DuPont's Wilmington headquarters.
DuPont had favored Minnesota or Delaware as the forum for consolidation. Other districts suggested by plaintiffs in addition to Pennsylvania were New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana.
The Philadelphia court will oversee pretrial actions in 18 lawsuits filed in Delaware and nine other states.
The EPA ordered DuPont to halt sales of Imprelis in August because of complaints about damage to trees, particularly evergreens such as Norway spruce and white pine, linked to the weed killer.
