WASTE COMPANY BUYS R360
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Solid waste services company Waste Connections is buying R360 Environmental Solutions Inc. for about $1.3 billion in cash. Waste Connections said Monday that the transaction is a natural extension of its exploration and production disposal services. R360 provides oil-field waste treatment, recovery and disposal services in areas including Permian, Bakken and Eagle Ford Basins.
HYUNDAI INQUIRY UPGRADED
DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators have added two model years to an investigation of an air bag problem with Hyundai Elantras that cut a car owner’s ear in half. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will look into 2011 and 2013 Elantras in addition to those from 2012. The agency also upgraded the inquiry to an engineering analysis, a step closer to a recall. No cars have been recalled yet. The agency started investigating 123,000 of the 2012 Elantra model in May.
ETHICS RULE IS VIOLATED
WASHINGTON — The top lawyer at the National Labor Relations Board violated federal ethics rules by helping investigate a case involving Walmart Stores Inc. despite holding a financial interest in the company, the board’s inspector general has found. NLRB Inspector General David Berry issued a report Sept. 13 finding that general counsel Lafe Solomon took part in discussions about whether Walmart’s social media policy violated the law even though Solomon owned about $18,000 worth of Walmart stock.
UNION EXTENDS CONTRACT
TORONTO — The Canadian Auto Workers union says it has agreed to extend its current contracts with General Motors and Chrysler while negotiations on new deals continue. The union had set a midnight strike deadline. But President Ken Lewenza said talks would go past the deadline if there was progress. Earlier Monday the CAW reached a four-year deal with Ford that freezes pay and cuts wages for new hires. The union wants the deal to be the template for contracts with GM and Chrysler. Union officials will give details at a 8:15 p.m. news conference.