Standard of Care
AquAeTer provided consulting and expert witness services in a high profile toxic tort case involving the historical manufacture of PCBs. At issue was what was known about PCBs and when it was known, the evolution of environmental analysis capabilities over time, and best practices at different times for industrial wastewater and waste management. A history of waste management practices was assembled from interviews with present and former employees, aerial photographs, and historical documents and blue prints. It was shown that the manufacturing facility had a state-of-the-art treatment facility years before it was regulatorily required. This was presented in a timeline that was included in the final report. Analytical techniques were also reviewed to determine the reliability of early data. A fixed time was established for data validity.
AquAeTer provided the following services to its client for this sampling and reporting project:
- Documents Review
- Literature Review
- Analysis of records and aerial photographs
- Preparation of Expert Reports
- Expert Testimony
- Review of regulatory requirements
- Timeline of Site Activities vs. Regulatory Requirements
- Establishment of historical waste management practices
- Determination of dates for laboratory capabilities for PCB analysis and validation
- Determination of ultimate fate for PCBs on site