Posted by Marina Tesoriero.
On March 14, federal courts unsealed documents that question the safety of Monsanto’s lead product, Roundup weed killer. Monsanto’s products, including Roundup, are used everywhere, from commercial farms, to the seeds in your backyard. Previous research has found this product and other similar products to be reasonably safe to use. That was until recently, a federal court case in San Francisco disputed that “Roundup’s main ingredient might cause cancer.”
Judge Vince Chhabria is ruling over litigation brought by people who claim to have developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a result of exposure to glyphosate, the main ingredient found in Roundup (Hakim, Monsanto Weed Killer). Chhabria is also accountable for unsealing documents. In one unsealed email, William F. Heydens, a Monsanto executive allowed other company executives to hire academics to write their name on the research ghostwritten by Monsanto. Monsanto denied having scientists ghostwrite papers and insists glyphosate is not a carcinogen.
Documents attained by federal courts show emails show between Monsanto and federal officials that suggest, “Monsanto had ghostwritten research that was later attributes to academics” (Hakim, Monsanto Weed Killer). These emails also suggested that an officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made efforts to abolish negative reviews conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services about glyphosate. The documents also show that the safety assessment performed by the EPA caused disagreements within the agency itself. Robin Greenwald, a lawyer at Weitz & Luxenberg, and is also part of the litigation says, “There are superb scientists in the world who would disagree with Monsanto, even the EPA has disagreements within the agency.” These actions leave users uneasy and concerned for their health.
Marina is a business student at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University.
Posted by Nicole M. Encalada.
After Volkswagen faced its emissions scandal in back in 2015, German police have decided to further the criminal investigation by searching Audi’s German headquarters and offices in Ingolstadt. Back in March, Audi had been placed under a fraud investigation in regards to its parent company, Volkswagen. The main goal in this investigation was to determine who was responsible for the corrupt actions, which released an illegal amount of emissions. Moritz Dreschel, Audi spokesperson stated, “Audi is fully cooperating with authorities as we have the highest interest in clarifying matters.” He also went on to say that the raids were not only held in Igoldstadt, but in their plant in Neckarsulm.
Last year, Volkswagen admitted to having equipped its engines with a software that was able to detect when the vehicle itself is being tested. Once detected, emissions controls would shut off. The software would release the solution that would neutralize the emissions, making the high levels undetectable. The result; Volkswagen’s cars would emit 40 times more emission than the EPA allows of nitrogen oxide. It is not only a danger to the environment, but it garners concerns for the public’s health. Unfortunately, over 2 million of the company’s vehicles used this software.
The parent company has since pleaded guilty to all fraud charges in the United States. Volkswagen has now agreed to pay $22 billion in penalties and settlement charges in the U.S. Now, there are six executives facing criminal charges, although prosecutors have not yet released any names of those executives. While top managers have assured the public that they are not responsible for the company’s wrongdoings, investigators are looking for any evidence of criminal behavior or any violations by Audi or its parent company. Both companies are now subject to different penalties as both companies are based in different German jurisdictions.
Nicole is a finance major at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, Class of 2018.
Sources:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/03/15/audi-german-headquarters-searched-emissions-probe/99199964/
Posted by Kayla Caveny.
The United States and Europe both have emissions standards for their vehicles. The standards are in place to limit the amount of pollutants the vehicle may make. However, there is a way to bypass those standards, illegal of course. This certain device is called a “defeat device,” which is any apparatus that unduly reduces the effectiveness of emissions control systems under conditions a vehicle may reasonably be expected to experience.
On September 18, 2015 U.S and European officials accused Volkswagen and Audi of installing these defeat devices within numerous diesel cars made between 2009 and 2015. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the cars that were tampered with “included software that circumvents EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants.” The vehicles that were effected only release the EPA’s emissions standards when the car is actually being tested. The vehicle actually produces nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the “legal” standard. Because of these vehicles being tampered with over 11 million Volkswagen and Audie’s have now been subject to recall. Volkswagen did admit to not complying with governmental standards. However, the makers of Volkswagen and Audi told the owners of these cars that “this is an emissions issue, your vehicle is safe to drive.”
Volkswagen and Audi’s actions have now caused several lawsuits, especially within the state of Tennessee. Most of these lawsuits are against Volkswagen and many of the dealers within the United States. According to John Willis, a lawsuit in Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Federal Court included seven plaintiffs who sued Volkswagen’s parent company and a Tennessee based dealer for fraudulent concealment and violating Tennessee consumer protection law. They thought they were purchasing “green” vehicles that met or exceeded federal emissions standards.
The plaintiffs believe that once Volkswagen completes a government mandated recall to remove the illegal defeat devices, the cars will not perform as they were designed. In the end Volkswagen has a settlement of 10 billion for vehicle buybacks, lease terminations, and owner compensation, as well as a 2.7 billion dollars towards environmental programs to reduce polluting nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. Volkswagen must also spend another 2 billion to promote zero-emission vehicles, which is even more than what they had originally planned to spend on the technology.
Kayla is a marketing student at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, Class of 2019.
References:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34324772
http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/faq-volkswagen-diesel-emissions-settlement.html