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Woburn Health Studies

Considered contaminated air, soil & water. Woburn Health Studies. Massachusetts DPH, 1979 reviewed mortality statistics 1969 -1979. Massachusetts DPH, 1981 cancer incidence and environmental hazards. Massachusetts DPH & CDC, 1981 incidence of childhood leukemia, kidney, liver,

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Woburn Health Studies

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  1. Considered contaminated air, soil & water Woburn Health Studies • Massachusetts DPH, 1979 • reviewed mortality statistics 1969 -1979 • Massachusetts DPH, 1981 • cancer incidence and environmental hazards • Massachusetts DPH & CDC, 1981 • incidence of childhood leukemia, kidney, liver, • and bladder cancers and environmental hazards Lagakos and others – Positive association between access to water from wells G & H 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

  2. Wells G & H on line Wells G & H off line ELEVATED INCIDENCE NORMAL INCIDENCE No records available Diagnosed Cases of Childhood Leukemia in Woburn: 1969-1997 (Massachusetts DPH, 1997) 1969 - 1997 24 cases observed 11-12 expected

  3. = -565 gpm Losing Stream U.S. EPA / U.S. Geological Survey January 1986 - Wells G & H pumping H G S46 (after Myette and others, 1987)

  4. Walter J. Skinner BOSTON Courtroom No. 6 McCormick Courthouse Federal Judge Mike Keating Jerry Facher Jan Schlichtmann W.R. Grace & Co. Beatrice Foods Plaintiffs

  5. LIABLE LIABLE 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 Toxicology Hydrogeology Civil Engineering Hydrogeology Hydrogeology Judge Skinner’s Ruling on Trial Plans Federal 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 & H

  6. W.R. Grace’s Case Plaintiffs’ Expert Beatrice’s Case River infiltration: 1 month River infiltration: 1 mo, 50% River infiltration: 10-20 yrs Barrier May 1979 3 mos 3 yrs SW - NE Geologic Cross Section G B (Metheny & Bair, 2000) (after Metheny, 1998)

  7. Mistrial Phase 2 – Determine whether the toxic chemicals found in wells G & H and delivered to the Plaintiffs’ residences could cause leukemia The Trial March – July 1986 Phase 1 – Determine whether either defendant, W.R. Grace or Beatrice Foods, was responsible for the toxic chemicals found in municipal wells G & H $8 MILLION SETTLEMENT REACHED BEFORE RE-TRIAL Beatrice Foods = Not Liable W.R. Grace = Liable TCE arrived in Sept. 1974

  8. SCIENCE IN THE COURTROOM • GOALS • understanding scientific inquiry • developing problem-solving skills • enhancing communication skills • defending work and opinions Honors course for science and non-science majors $15,000 to develop course • PREREQUISITES • geology 100 or 121 • math 151 • chemistry 110 • METHODS • learn enough geology, hydrology, • and aqueous chemistry to become • an expert witness in a mock trial • use data sets from real trial to solve • problems that become trial exhibits • write an expert opinion • survive deposition • participate in mock trial

  9. Suggest causation Formulate question File complaint Develop hypothesis Discovery to gather information Experimentation to test hypotheses $ Conclusions to acceptorreject hypothesis Trial to present and rebut facts and testimony Jury evaluation to acceptorreject complaint Scientific community acceptsorrejects hypothesis Civil Lawsuit Scientific Method Perceived injustice Initial observations STUDY & PARTICIPATE in BOTH

  10. Geological Sciences 451 website . www.geology.ohio-state.edu/courtroom Animations

  11. TheImage Galleryis a photographic account of the events before, during, and after the Woburn Trial Background|Plaintiffs|Defendants|Toxic Trial| Courtroom Geology|Hydrogeology|Documents|Remediation Back to Main Page

  12. streamflow depletion due to pumping streamflow measurements Hematology, leukemia and its treatment sediment characteristics & permeability values sediment characteristics & permeability values basal till Aberjona River James Cancer Hospital wells G & H outwash aggregate quarry county landfill Circleville wellfield Scioto Big Run Field Trips • OBSERVATIONS • . • leukemia/treatment • geologic materials • river & floodplain • data collection

  13. Contaminant breakthrough curves Streamflow depletion by wells G & H SW NE Foundation of professional opinions W.R. Grace Aberjona River loose materials 1000 DCE DCE Riley’s 15 acres G 800 TCE TCE 600 PCE PCE Concentration (ppb) compacted materials 400 1985 TCE concentrations (non-synoptic) 200 Geologic cross section Water-table maps Drawdown map bedrock 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Years Data Analysis & Interpretation

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