Recently in Environmental Category

Environmental expert Joseph M. Sorge testified before the Bernards Township (NJ) Planning Board regarding the Millington Quarry's proposal for topping off the quarry after operations at the site are ended. The location has been considered for residential use and the expert answered questions about the source and testing procedure for soil to be brought in as topsoil or fill.

Read more: http://www.bernards.org/.

Environmental expert Drew Smyth said General Chemical Corp.'s plan to break down contamination in a Framingham, MA, toxic plume won't work.  The expert testified before the Board of Health regarding the contaminated soil and groundwater surrounding the plant which has infringed on surrounding neighborhoods. 

Read more: framingham.patch.com.

Environmental expert and Duke Professor Robert Jackson published a study recently that showed very high levels of methane gas in groundwater near fracking operations in Pennsylvania.  Texas was the first state to authorize public disclosure of chemicals used to break up shale gas formations during hydraulic fracturing and now the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has new rules governing the oil & gas industry practice of hydraulic fracturing.  

Tom Richmond, Administrator of the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC), says this means increased transparency for the public about the chemical ingredients used in the practice. "The new rules place Montana at the forefront of a national movement toward mandatory disclosure of all the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.  Operators in Montana will be required to tell us everything they're using, not just a limited subset of chemicals," said Richmond.

Read more: dnrc.mt.gov.

Residents of a neighborhood where gasoline spilled in Hazleton and Hazle Township received praise from attorneys who represented them for a decade in a lawsuit that ended this week.  "Their lives were upended by gasoline contamination that affected their homes and their lives. Some died. All suffered nuisance and inconvenience to a significant degree. They put up with things no one should have to suffer, and they responded admirably," the Locks Law Firm and Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer, which both have offices in Philadelphia, said in a statement.

An environmental expert who worked at the scene supported what Cabell said about the statute of limitations.  "We did not know the true magnitude of the problem until we completed our whole investigation," said Robert Gadinski, the hydrogeologist supervisor and special project manager for the Department of Environmental Resources at Laurel Gardens in 1994.  The lawsuits for 258 families ended on Monday in Luzerne County Court when they reached a settlement with Exxon Mobil.

Read more: standardspeaker.com.

University of Chicago professor Don Coursey, whose role as an expert witness is central to discovery disputes in two proposed atrazine class actions, says he will comply with discovery requests. The City of Greenville, IL, proposes to lead a multi-state class of water providers against against Syngenta Crop Protection Inc. and Syngenta AG over alleged water contamination caused by their chemical atrazine.  Atrazine is a common weed killer used by farmers.  The federal suit is nearly identical to a series of proposed class actions filed seven years ago in Madison County.

Read more: madisonrecord.com.

JetAway Aviation’s attorneys argued strongly against certifying Montrose County’s expert Charlotte Ryan witness Thursday, but the witness was allowed.  JetAway is adjacent to Montrose Regional Airport, and operated under a “through the fence agreement.” It sued the county in 2005, when another company was awarded the contract for fixed-base operations at the airport.

This week’s trial is Round 2 of that case, which was decided in 2008. Under that ruling, JetAway’s land leasewith the county was terminated, and the county was ordered to issue an access permit both parties appealed portions of the 2008 order, and the Colorado Court of Appeals remanded questions concerning maintenance and attorneys’ fees to the Montrose District Court, which this week is also considering JetAway’s motion to compel access.

Read more: montrosedailypress.

Expert witnesses for those opposed to a Thamesville-area wind farm leveled criticism at provincial reports on wind turbines during an Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal hearing in Chatham.  The Kent Breeze Wind Farm project, owned by Suncor Energy, is being challenged by appellants Katie Erickson and Chatham-Kent Wind Action Inc. on the basis that noise from wind farms can cause harm to human health, including sleep disturbance, psychological stress, inner-ear symptoms and headaches to those living near the structures.

New York environmental psychologist Dr. Arline Bronzaft testified and criticized the report titled Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects, an Expert Panel Review, prepared for the Canadian and American wind energy associations.  She said the report didn't include a full-range exploration of studies dealing with the impact of noise in human behaviour and performance.

Read more:  www.chathamdailynews.com.

Test results are in for oil material found in Pensacola Bay late last month.  A lab experienced in testing petroleum products determined that the oil’s toxicity levels are sky-high.  “In its natural state, the numbers are off the chart,” said Heather Reed, the environmental expert for the City of Gulf Breeze who made the discovery. “It’s extremely toxic to human health.”

Lab workers had to dilute the sample 20 times just to get a reading. Reed said samples are usually diluted only once.  “The oil is very well preserved,” Reed added.

Read more: gulfbreezenews.com.

Asbestos contaminated dirt piles have been removed from the Denver Federal Center property in Denver, Colorado. The asbestos was discovered in several large mounds of earth, as a result of past excavation and demolition work, reports Environmental Expert.  In order to make the property safer, the mounds were removed. With the material removed, the property may be developed. The Colorado Department of Health managed the removal.

The dirt piles were tested before being disturbed. This testing allowed for the proper excavation and disposal procedures to be put in place. By following regulations, workers were kept safe.  “Testing for asbestos before beginning any remodeling or construction activity if there is suspect material is essential...A simple test is all that is needed so that both area residents and workers are not exposed to asbestos fibers,” noted Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President at EMSL Analytical.

Read more: mesothelioma.com.

Eight hours into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill "top kill" operation, a BP official said Wednesday night that it was too soon to tell if it would work. BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said he expected to know if the plan was working within 24 hours. “Top kill,” which has been described as one of the most elaborately staged and far-reaching maneuvers to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, was put into action at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Engineering expert Manhar Dhanak of the Institute for Ocean and Systems Engineering in Boca Raton, Fla., was concerned about the state of the blowout preventer. If it is damaged, the rate of oil could greatly increase. “Rather than helping, it could create more problems,” Mr. Dhanak says.

For more, see csmonitor.com.