Woburn Health Studies Massachusetts DPH, 1979 reviewed mortality statistics 1969 -1979 Massachusetts DPH, 1981 cancer incidence and environmental hazards

Woburn Health StudiesWoburn Health Studies

Massachusetts DPH, 1979• reviewed mortality statistics 1969 -1979

Massachusetts DPH, 1981• cancer incidence and environmental hazards Considered contaminated air, soil & waterConsidered contaminated air, soil & water

Massachusetts DPH & CDC, 1981• incidence of childhood leukemia, kidney, liver, and bladder cancers and environmental hazards

Lagakos and othersLagakos and others – Positive association – Positive associationbetween access to water from wells G between access to water from wells G && H Hand the incidence of childhood leukemia. and the incidence of childhood leukemia.

Harvard School of Public Health, 1985• health effects and contaminated well water• 20 childhood leukemia cases: 1964 -1983• Waldorf & Cleary (1983) water distribution model

19601962

19641966

19681970

19721974

19761978

19801982

19841986

19881990

19921994

19961998

2000

0

1

2

3

Num

ber

of C

ases

Dia

gnos

edDiagnosed Cases of Childhood Leukemia in Woburn: 1969-1997

No recordsavailable

Wells G Wells G && H on line H on line Wells G Wells G && H off line H off line

1969 - 19971969 - 199724 cases observed24 cases observed

11-12 expected11-12 expected

ELEVATED INCIDENCE

ELEVATED INCIDENCE

NORMALNORMAL

INCIDENCEINCIDENCE

(Massachusetts DPH, 1997)

HH

GG

S46S46

U.S. EPA / U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. EPA / U.S. Geological SurveyJanuary 1986 - Wells G & H January 1986 - Wells G & H pumpingpumping

= -565 gpm= -565 gpmLosing StreamLosing Stream

(after Myette and others, 1987)

BOSTONCourtroom No. 6

McCormick Courthouse

BOSTONCourtroom No. 6

McCormick Courthouse

Walter J. SkinnerWalter J. Skinner

Federal JudgeFederal Judge

Jan SchlichtmannJan Schlichtmann

PlaintiffsPlaintiffs

Mike Keating Mike Keating

W.R. Grace & Co.W.R. Grace & Co.

Jerry FacherJerry Facher

Beatrice FoodsBeatrice Foods

Judge Skinner’s Ruling on Trial Plans

Judge Skinner’s Ruling on Trial PlansFederal Rules of Civil Procedure #42 – Separation of Trials

Phase 1 – Determine whether either defendant (W.R. Grace or Beatrice Foods) was responsible for the toxic chemicals found in municipal wells G & HLIABLE

Phase 2 – Determine whether the toxic chemicals found in wells G & H and delivered to the Plaintiffs’ residences could cause leukemia

Phase 3 – Evaluate other health claims

Phase 4 – Decide punitive damages

LIABLE

SW - NE Geologic Cross SectionSW - NE Geologic Cross SectionSW - NE Geologic Cross SectionSW - NE Geologic Cross Section

(after Metheny, 1998)

GGGG

BBBB

(Metheny & Bair, 2000)

Plaintiffs’ ExpertPlaintiffs’ ExpertPlaintiffs’ ExpertPlaintiffs’ Expert

3 yrs3 yrs3 mos3 mos

River infiltration: 10-20 yrsRiver infiltration: 10-20 yrs

Beatrice’s CaseBeatrice’s CaseBeatrice’s CaseBeatrice’s CaseB

arr

ier

Barr

ier

River infiltration: 1 monthRiver infiltration: 1 month

W.R. Grace’s CaseW.R. Grace’s CaseW.R. Grace’s CaseW.R. Grace’s Case

May1979May1979

River infiltration: 1 mo, 50%River infiltration: 1 mo, 50%

The TrialThe Trial

Phase 1 – Determine whether either defendant, W.R. Grace or Beatrice Foods, was responsible for the toxic chemicals found in municipal wells G & H

Beatrice Foods = Not Liable W.R. Grace = Liable TCE arrived in Sept. 1974

Beatrice Foods = Not Liable W.R. Grace = Liable TCE arrived in Sept. 1974

$8 MILLION SETTLEMENT REACHED BEFORE RE-TRIAL$8 MILLION SETTLEMENT REACHED BEFORE RE-TRIAL

March – July 1986

Phase 2 – Determine whether the toxic chemicals found in wells G & H and delivered to the Plaintiffs’ residences could cause leukemia

Mistrial

GOALSGOALS• understanding scientific inquiryunderstanding scientific inquiry• developing problem-solving skillsdeveloping problem-solving skills• enhancing communication skillsenhancing communication skills• defending work and opinionsdefending work and opinions

METHODSMETHODS• learn enough geology, hydrology, learn enough geology, hydrology, and aqueous chemistry to becomeand aqueous chemistry to become an expert witness in a mock trialan expert witness in a mock trial• use data sets from real trial to solveuse data sets from real trial to solve problems that become trial exhibits problems that become trial exhibits • write an expert opinionwrite an expert opinion• survive depositionsurvive deposition• participate in mock trial participate in mock trial

Honors course for science and non-science majors

Honors course for science and non-science majors

SCIENCE IN THE COURTROOMSCIENCE IN THE COURTROOM

PREREQUISITESPREREQUISITES• geology 100 or 121geology 100 or 121• math 151math 151• chemistry 110chemistry 110

$15,000 to develop $15,000 to develop coursecourse

Scientific MethodScientific Method

Initial observationsInitial observations

DevelophypothesisDevelop

hypothesisFile

complaintFile

complaint

Scientific communityaccepts or rejects

hypothesis

Scientific communityaccepts or rejects

hypothesis

Jury evaluation toaccept or reject

complaint

Jury evaluation toaccept or reject

complaint

Formulate questionFormulate questionSuggest causationSuggest causation

Experimentation totest hypotheses

Experimentation totest hypotheses

Discovery togather information

Discovery togather information

Civil LawsuitCivil Lawsuit

Perceived injusticePerceived injustice

Conclusions toaccept or reject

hypothesis

Conclusions toaccept or reject

hypothesis

Trial to present andrebut facts and

testimony

Trial to present andrebut facts and

testimony

$$

STUDY&

PARTICIPATEin

BOTH

Geological Sciences 451 website.

www.geology.ohio-state.edu/courtroom

Geological Sciences 451 website.

www.geology.ohio-state.edu/courtroom

Animations Animations

Background | Plaintiffs | Defendants | Toxic Trial | CourtroomGeology | Hydrogeology | Documents | Remediation

Back to Main Page

The Image Gallery is a photographic account of theevents before, during, and after the Woburn Trial

Field Trips

OBSERVATIONS.

• leukemia/treatment • geologic materials• river & floodplain• data collection

Hematology, leukemiaand its treatmentHematology, leukemiaand its treatment

JamesCancerHospital

JamesCancerHospital

sedimentcharacteristics&permeability values

basaltill

basaltill

county landfill



aggregate

quarry

aggregate

quarry

outwash

outwash

streamflow depletiondue to pumpingstreamflow depletiondue to pumping

Circleville

wellfield

Circleville

wellfield

wells G & H

wells G & H

streamflowmeasurements

Scioto Big RunScioto Big Run

AberjonaRiver

AberjonaRiver

Foundation ofprofessionalopinions

SW NE

Riley’s15 acres

W.R.Grace

G

loose materials

compacted materials

AberjonaRiver

bedrockGeologiccross section

Water-tablemaps

BB

4040

6060

8080

GG

UU

HH

GG

Drawdownmap

GG

UU

GG

HH

BB00

442266

1985 TCE concentration

s(non-synoptic)

Data Analysis & InterpretationData Analysis & Interpretation

Streamflowdepletion

by wellsG & H

Streamflowdepletion

by wellsG & H

800

400

200

0

-200

-400

-600

-800

600

Net GainingNet Gaining

Str

ea

mflo

w C

ha

ng

e (

gp

m)

-651-565

-476

-381-341-346

-126

763

Net LosingNet Losing

Contaminantbreakthrough

curves

Contaminantbreakthrough

curves

Con

cent

ratio

n (p

pb)

1000

800

600

400

200

0

Years0 1 4 5 6 9 10 11 122 3 7 8 13 14

DCEDCE

TCETCE

PCEPCE