Federal appeals court shoots down rule to curb cross-state air pollution. In a 2-1 decision, a U.S. Court of Appeals panel said the Environmental Protection Agency restriction on emissions from coal-fired power plants “exceeds the agency’s statutory authority” by requiring some states to clean up more than their fair share of pollution. The decision vacates a rule that was championed by the Obama administration to limit soot- and smog-forming air pollution that blows across state lines. It would have required about 1,000 power plants in 28 states to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, both associated with higher rates of heart attacks and respiratory illnesses. The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post
Federal investigators looking into whether beef from sick cows reached the food supply. U.S. Agriculture Department officials responded after receiving a video, from a slaughterhouse in central California, that appears to show workers bungling the slaughter of cows that were struggling to walk or even stand. Under federal regulations, sick animals cannot be slaughtered for human consumption. The agency suspended operations Monday at Central Valley Meat in Hanford, Calif., after receiving the video from an animal welfare group. The video shows animals bleeding after being repeatedly shot in the head with a pneumatic gun in unsuccessful efforts to render them unconscious for slaughter. The Associated Press
Monitor says working conditions have improved at Apple contractor factories in China. Still, the Fair Labor Association, a nonprofit group enlisted to investigate Foxconn plants in China, said the contractor needs to cut working hours further. Earlier this year, the monitoring organization found multiple labor law violations, including extreme hours, after initiating one of the largest investigations ever of a U.S. company’s foreign supplier. An Apple spokesman said “steady progress” is being made in reducing excessive work hours. He said Apple has achieved 97 percent compliance with its mandate of a 60-hour maximum work week for more than 700,000 people in China who make its products. Bloomberg, Reuters
Leak of radioactive material detected at Hanford nuclear site in Washington state. The discovery marked the first such incident involving one of the site’s 28 double-shell tanks that provide interim storage for the radioactive waste generated when Hanford was one of the nation’s major atomic production centers. Hanford began a shutdown in 1964, and a massive cleanup started in 1989. Federal officials said the leak poses no threat to workers or groundwater. But a leader of Hanford Challenge, an advocacy group that disclosed a memo detailing the discovery of the mysterious substance, said the detection “changes everything.” The tanks, he said, “were supposed to last another 40 years.” Environment News Service, Los Angeles Times
Electrical failures plague Airbus jets. Records show that the Airbus A320 family of aircraft have suffered more than 50 episodes of multiple electrical failures, which can shut down cockpit displays for pilots, since the narrow-body planes went into service more than two decades ago. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an order in 2010 giving U.S. airlines four years to make fixes, but critics say the agency should require quicker repairs. “These things cost money and the industry is in bad shape, so you have the economics thrown into it. But if the end result is higher airfares and higher cost of transportation, then that is the price we have to pay to ensure a safe transport system,” a veteran commercial pilot said. The Associated Press
Recalls: LG Electronics and Kenmore Elite gas dryers, JFC Furikake-Seto Fumi seasoning
Compiled by Stuart Silverstein and Bridget Huber
