"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 the nation's geology as an invisible dumping ground. No company would be allowed to pour such dangerous chemicals into the rivers or onto the soil. But until recently, scientists and environmental officials have assumed that deep layers of rock beneath the earth would safely entomb the waste for millennia. There are growing signs they were mistaken."
"Records from disparate corners of the United States show that wells drilled to bury this waste deep beneath the ground have repeatedly leaked, sending dangerous chemicals and waste gurgling to the surface or, on occasion, seeping into shallow aquifers that store a significant portion of the nation's drinking water."
Abrahm Lustgarten reports for ProPublica June 21, 2012, as part of a special feature package, "Injection Wells: The Hidden Risks of Pumping Waste Underground."
SEE ALSO:
"Polluted Water Fuels a Battle for Answers" (ProPubica)
"An Unseen Leak, Then Boom" (ProPublica)
"Whiff of Phenol Spells Trouble" (ProPublica)
"Injection Wells: The Hidden Risks of Pumping Waste Underground" Series Portal
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