Expert Witness Testimony In Complex
Environmental Litigation
Author(s)
C. M. Denton
Abstract
Modeling of emissions and contamination can result in significant cost-savings
as compared with additional sampling and analysis, and is frequently utilized by
potentially responsible parties as well as governmental agencies for air
permitting, remedial investigations, corrective measures studies, and engineering
design. The science of modeling has been challenged in federal and state
courtrooms across the country. Questions have been raised as to the reliability,
predictability and specificity of contaminant fate and transport modeling by
various adversaries. This paper will review and discuss recent court rulings and
evidentiary issues regarding contaminant fate and transport modeling in litigation
and related expert witness testimony.
Keywords: groundwater models, Daubert, expert witness, rules of evidence,
CERCLA, limitations of modeling, fate and transport, MODFLOW, case studies.
1 Introduction
This paper is a review of expert witness testimony utilizing computer modeling
of the fate and transport of environmental contamination. Models provide an
approximation of field situations, and are commonly used to simulate the
movement of groundwater, surface water, air, and sediments, as well as the
distribution of chemicals in these media. Models can be used to explain current
conditions, predict future conditions, and recreate past conditions.
There are two conditions that distinguish modeling for the courtroom from
modeling used for typical consulting or research. First, because of the financial
stakes typically associated with court cases, modeling for the courtroom often
attracts more intense scrutiny than models created for other purposes. Second,
Keywords
groundwater models, Daubert, expert witness, rules of evidence,CERCLA, limitations of modeling, fate and transport, MODFLOW, case studies.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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