Environmental Law for Engineers and Geoscientists

 Contents  
List of Cases  
List of Commonly Used Abbreviations and Acronyms  
Introduction to Environmental Law  
Need for a National Environmental Protection Policy  
Basic Law for Engineers and Geoscientists  
General Orientation to American Jurisprudence  
Divisions of Law  
General Requirements for Filing a Civil Court Action  
Briefs  
National Environmental Policy Act   
National Environmental Policy Act — An Environmental Protection Beginning  
Early Testing of NEPA by Trial  
Air Pollution and the Clean Air Act  
Need for Air Pollution Control  
Clean Air Act — 1970   
CAA Amendments— 1990  
CAA Legislative and Litigation Updates — 1990-2001  
Water Pollution and the Clean Water Act  
Introduction — Historical Comment on Water Pollution  
Brief Review of Man’s Water Pollution vs. Nature’s Treatment Process  
Early Remedies at Law for Water Pollution  
Polluted Waters — Health Hazard — Wastewater Treatment  
Evolution of Water Pollution Regulation  
Sources of Water Pollution  
Effluent Discharge Control Under the Clean Water Act  
CWA Legislative and Litigation Updates — 1990-2000  
Other Important and Miscellaneous Environmental Statutes in a “Nutshell”   
Toxic Substances Control  
Updates on Litigation of Solid Waste Disposal — 1999-2000  
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act — 1976, and as Amended —1984, 1986  
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act — 1980, (Superfund); Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) — 1986  
Water Pollution by Abandoned Mine Sites; Acid Mine Drainage; Mined Land Reclamation  
Introduction  
Statutory Treatment of Water Pollution by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)  
Examples of AMD Source Point Abandoned Hardrock Mine and Mill Sites Litigated under CERCLA, SARA, and CWA  
Example of a Non-CERCLA AMD Common Law Damage Claim Suit  
Geoscientific and Engineering Expert Witnessing and Admissible Scientific Evidence  
Introduction  
A Brief History of Scientific “Expert Witnessing” in the Unites States  
“Daubert” Period — 1993 to Date (1999)  
Partial Clarification of Daubert in the 1997 Joiner Case  
Kumho Tire Co., Ltd, v. Carmichael — 1999 — Further Refinement of Daubert’s Requirements for Expert Opinions  
Examples of Exclusion and Admissibility of Expert Opinions in Environmental Cost Recovery Suit Challenges  
An Expert Geoscientific Witness Case — An Example of Inadmissible Geological Expert Testimony  
Conclusions  
A Few Pointers for Being a Successful Geoscientific Expert Witness in Court  
False Statements  
An Example Case Employing Numerous Expert Witnesses  
Update on Recent Expert Witnessing Cases  
Appendix A: Iron Mountain Mine Site, Further Detailed Description  
Appendix B: A very Simplified Environmental Guide for Starting a Mining Operation, or for a Takeover of a Mining Operation, or For a Takeover of a Mining Operation  
References