by Joanne Waldron
(NaturalNews) Merck, the maker of the very
controversial Gardasil
vaccine, has a pharmaceutical plant located in West Point, Pennsylvania, that
discards pollutants from this facility into the Upper Gwynedd Township Publicly
Owned Treatment Works (UGT POTW), according to a
press
release by the U.S. Department of Justice. The treated wastewater is
released into the Wissahickon Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River. A
federal court complaint was filed alleging that
Merck violated the Clean
Water Act with various discharges that caused numerous pass through and
interference violations at the UGT POTW.
On June 13, 2006, Merck released potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) into the
water that reacted with the
chlorination at UGT POTW which resulted in extensive fish kills in the
Wissahickon Creek on June 14th and 15th. The Philadelphia Water Department had
to shut down its Schuylkill River
drinking water
intake for several days, and a health advisory was issued stating that all
recreational uses on the Wissahickon Creek were prohibited from June 14th � July
10th. Then, on August 8th and 9th, Merck released a batch of spend substrate
used in vaccine production which caused large-scale foam discharge into the
creek. Later, on the 16th, Merck released a massive amount of cleaning agents
that when treated at UGT POTW caused another major foam discharge.
Merck has agreed to settle the violations of federal and state water pollution
regulations. Merck will pay $10 million to institute a system that will prevent
future hazardous discharges from their plant. They will also spend approximately
$9 million for environmental projects and will pay $1,575,000 in penalties and
civil damages for past violations. "Merck's actions led to an extensive
fish-kill and caused the Philadelphia Water Department to temporarily shut down
its drinking water operations," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Tenpas.
"This settlement ensures that Merck will take steps to prevent future illegal
discharges including installing an early warning system to protect drinking
water."
There have been many stories in the news lately concerning the problems with
municipal water systems. "Perhaps more than anything else, this settlement says
to every company that discharges dangerous
chemicals as part of its
operations that it is accountable to the environment and the community," said
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Pat Meehan. "Because
when you get right down to it, no one should have to wonder, when they walk into
the kitchen for a glass of water, if what they are about to drink is going to
make them or their children sick."
http://www.naturalnews.com/023124.html