Phenol is a deadly chemical that is known to cause internal burns, muscle spasms and organ failure. So when, in 1989, employees of the Aristech Chemical Corp. got a whiff of the chemical while drilling a disposal well in Haverhill, Ohio, they knew something was not right. As it turned out, the well was being drilled next to two older disposal wells in which the company had stored hazardous waste material that was expected to be kept safe for at least 10,000 years. The chemical waste had found its way to the surface although the wells were stringently regulated and monitored. This suggested that even under the strictest of regulations, deep well injections are not perfectly safe.
The site became a subject of study and testing for over two decades, with conflicting reports on the underground migration of the phenol. The case was eventually closed with the Ohio EPA’s director saying that Aristech had conclusively convinced the agency that there was no risk to drinking water sources.
Check out the original article here: https://www.propublica.org/article/whiff-of-phenol-spells-trouble