While Taylor Research Group (TRG) is a Washington, DC-based research firm, conveniently located near major federal repositories, our work is far from limited to the DC region. TRG researchers regularly travel across the country to conduct research at local and state repositories, government offices, university libraries, and historical societies. We recently surveyed our office and found that collectively, we have conducted in-person research in at least 32 states– and that doesn't count the states whose records we've "visited" remotely (all 50, plus Guam and Puerto Rico!). This is all to say that we go anywhere and everywhere to collect and analyze the documents that are essential to our clients.
The Legacy of Lead Based Paint
On January 13, 1971, Congress passed the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Act, which prohibited the use of lead-based paints (“LBPs”) in residences constructed or renovated by the federal government or using federal assistance. Fifty years later, we are still seeing the health impact of LBPs and other leaded products. But why was lead used in the first place? In this blog, TRG explores the history and health effects of leaded products and shares how companies can use our services to address lead contamination.
TRG Announces Historic Property Research Services
Every house has a story. Unraveling it requires tracking down its paper trail, which can be time-consuming and daunting if one doesn’t know where to look. In-depth knowledge of archival resources can help maximize the historical details for individual homeowners as well as for business owners and real estate brokers. TRG has assisted property owners in compiling complex house histories throughout the Washington, DC area. Our familiarity with local, state, and federal agencies, not to mention local historical societies and libraries, has allowed us to uncover records on behalf of property owners that are typically strewn about various archival collections and online databases.
Four Ways Archives Have Changed Since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Every industry has undergone major changes since the COVID-19 pandemic and archives and related repositories are no exception. As historical researchers, we had a unique perspective as we watched these institutions adjust in real-time. Since 2020, we at TRG have discussed internally the changes we’ve seen at local and national repositories. After all, what happens in the archival world impacts us directly and therefore impacts our clients. From abrupt lockdown to cautious reopening to new normal, here are some of the most significant changes we have seen:
Our Favorite Online Archives and Databases
October is American Archives Month - 2023 update!
October is American Archives Month! That means archives from around the country will promote their collections and archivists will share their knowledge all month long online. As you know, our line of work is dependent on the good folks who care for and curate historical materials. We here at TRG look forward to this month as it helps give us a sense of current trends and happenings in the archives field.
We last wrote about this fun event in 2019, but much has changed since then.
PFAS: New Developments, Old Problems
Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a new specification for fluorine-free foam (“F3”) that would replace the PFAS-containing AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam), still widely used by the U.S. military and airport firefighting crews. This is an important step in reducing or ending the use of AFFF, which continues to be used in select applications because it has no adequate replacement. The new specification limits PFAS content in the F3 foam to 1 part per billion. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working with the U.S. Navy to develop the new specification, and has advised that it will permit usage of F3 at facilities under its oversight once qualified products have been introduced.
TRG's Favorite Regional Repositories
A Mental Floss article titled “10 Unusual Libraries from Around the World” inspired our team to come up with our very own round up of repositories we have visited throughout this country over the years. In addition to libraries, we expanded the scope of our list to include archives and historical societies. Most of our choices aren’t unusual, but each is unique to the person who chose to write about it. After all, the TRG team spends large chunks of its days hunched over reading tables, card catalogs, and microfilm machines in repositories throughout the country. We collectively spend the most time in two of the country’s largest and most famous: The Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.
PFAS: When Confronted With Potential Liability, Know Your History
Last month, on the heels of our trilogy of blogs related to the Impact of PFAS on Environmental Litigation (Virtual) Conference hosted by Perrin Conferences, TRG attended a subsequent PFAS webinar, which is the subject of this week’s blog.
“Do the Homework on Corporate History” was one of six key takeaway points from the Identification of PFAS Sites and Questions of Legal and Insurance Coverage webinar hosted by Perrin Conferences. The webinar cautioned that, while companies attempting to understand their liability often turn first to insurance archaeology, instead their initial step should be to fully understand their own corporate history and how they became liable in the first place. The webinar pointed out that sales, acquisitions, and mergers all may have affected liability, as well as any active insurance policies.
PFAS: Civilian Usage and Disposal
This week we continue our series of blogs reflecting on material covered in the “Impact of PFAS on Environmental Litigation (Virtual) Conference” hosted by Perrin Conferences by examining the growing focus on civilian usage and disposal of PFAS.
When certain PFAS chemicals first became cause for concern, it was the manufacturers of the chemicals themselves—firms such as DuPont and 3M—that were the focus of litigation. As focus broadened to end-users and disposers of chemicals that contained harmful PFAS, it was largely the military that came under scrutiny due to its widespread use of AFFF firefighting foam, as we described in last week’s blog. Today, however, there is also widespread focus on civil users, distributors, and disposers of PFAS-containing material, a point driven home by conference presenters.