When Hurricane Harvey battered the Gulf Coast region in August of last year, communities worried about its devastating, lasting impact – from the significant personal loss felt by families to the staggering financial clean-up costs that threatened to overwhelm towns and cities. And, in addition to the loss of human life, flooded homes as well as entire neighborhoods, not to mention the indefinite shuttering of businesses, communities were forced to confront serious environmental concerns in real time as the storm raged in the area that is a well-known hub of the petrochemical industry.
A History of Holiday Decor at the White House
Decorating for the holidays is a time-honored tradition at the White House.
Repositories that Taylor Research Group frequents to conduct historical research, such as the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Library of Congress, hold many photographs that document such décor. From Christmas trees to menorahs, over the years winter holiday ornamentations at the White House have become increasingly grand, public, and inclusive.
Historical Research Sheds Light on Superfund Cases
Historical Research: Its Role in Environmental Due Diligence Prior to Business Transactions
A recent article from Thompson Coburn LLP that provided tips for environmental due diligence for buyers in business transactions caught our attention. Why? Conducting research into historical environmental problems is one of our specialties at Taylor Research Group.
Another Lead-Related Crisis: East Chicago, Indiana
There are, of course, some big differences. The affected West Calumet Complex in East Chicago falls within an already designated EPA Superfund site where years before companies “smelted, dealt with or processed lead for decades,” according to CNN. The EPA has since sued several of these Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). But attorneys will now have to determine to what extent governmental agencies share in ongoing remedial efforts.
More Legal Action in the Wake of Flint Water Crisis
The Role of Historical Research in Product Liability Litigation
Product liability is not necessarily an area of law many people immediately associate with the need for conducting historical research. After all, litigation over an injury involving burns from a hot cup of coffee or an exploding soda bottle doesn’t have much to do with dusty old historical documents. Or does it? What about an injury sustained while operating a piece of machinery that came with an inadequate instruction manual? Or an injury from a household product that had a misleading label? And what about the potential successor liability risks involved when acquiring a company that might have manufactured a defective product?
Implications of the Clean Power Plan on Historical Research
We’ve been closely tracking litigation related to the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP), which seeks to reduce carbon pollution from power plants and includes state-by-state mandates. Recently, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the plan until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit completes its review.
The Ongoing Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan
Last week, citizens of Flint, Michigan filed two class-action lawsuits against Gov. Rick Snyder, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and other government officials. These follow a declared state of emergency in Flint, a pending investigation from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan, a declared federal emergency by President Obama, and an emergency order issued from the EPA to the state of Michigan.
Reconstructing the History of a City Block
Much of the work we do in support of environmental law and toxic tort cases involves compiling comprehensive site histories. We work with our clients to come up with cost-efficient research strategies to compile these site histories, which help answer their most pressing environmental or historical questions. We’ve broadly discussed this type of work before in relation to chemical releases into local waterways. Today, we’d like to take the opportunity to discuss a specific case in which we reconstructed the history of an entire city block.