Underground waste and injection wells may pose unexpected hazards. Over the past several decades, U.S. industries have injected more than 30 trillion gallons of toxic liquid deep into the earth, using broad expanses of geology as an invisible dumping ground. No company would be allowed to pour such dangerous chemicals into rivers or onto soil. But until recently, environmental officials have assumed that deep layers of rock beneath the earth would safely entomb the waste for millennia. There are growing signs, however, they were mistaken. Records show that some sites are leaking, sending dangerous chemicals and waste gurgling to the surface — and, on occasion, possibly contaminating sources of drinking water. ProPublica
Russell Stover Candies agrees to pay $585,000 to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act. The civil settlement stems from an audit by the Environmental Protection Agency at the company’s Iola, Kan., plant in June 2008. EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said Kansas City-based Russell Stover had been discharging acidic wastewater for years, damaging sewer lines and manholes in Iola. The EPA said the company didn’t fix the problem until the agency issued a compliance order in July 2009. The Kansas City Star, The Associated Press, EPA
European regulators investigate drug maker Roche for failing to pursue possible safety issues. The European Medicines Agency said the Swiss company didn’t properly vet 80,000 reports of possible side effects received from patients and doctors. It said the reports involve various drugs, including cancer treatments, though it added there is no evidence that patients have been harmed by Roche’s inaction. Inspectors found the unvetted reports during a routine examination of a U.K. Roche operation. Companies commonly receive such reports and are required to evaluate them and alert regulators about any serious cases. Roche said its “nonassessment and unreporting of these adverse events was not intentional.” The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press
Lack of insurance leads to 26,100 premature deaths a year, report says. Released ahead of the much-anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the nation’s healthcare reform law, a report by the consumer advocacy group Families USA estimated that record high toll of premature deaths for 2010 among people ages 25 to 64 lacking health insurance. Experts say the uninsured get less preventive and other medical care. The report’s findings are in line with a study by the Urban Institute think tank that, for 2006, attributed 22,000 premature deaths to a lack of insurance. The Affordable Care Act would extend insurance coverage to millions but 26 states have asked the high court to overturn the law. Reuters
Workplace safety inspectors accuse employers in Missouri and New York of repeat violations. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited St. Genevieve, Mo.,-based National Vinyl Products and its subsidiary NVP Hospitality Design on 30 violations. That included three repeat violations of failing to properly ground electrical equipment or to install safety guards on machines. The agency proposed $199,800 in penalties. Separately, OSHA is seeking $94,380 in fines against Core Continental Construction of New York City for 13 alleged violations at a work site in Manhattan. The charges include repeat violations involving inadequate scaffolding and exposed electrical panels. OSHA
Recalls: LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts, Square H coarse ground smoked bacon ends and pieces, Bluestem Brands recliner chairs
Compiled by Stuart Silverstein and Bridget Huber
