This article provides background information about the societal and technical aspects of the famous 'A Civil Action' trial. It also proposes that the steps involved in constructing a predictive groundwater model are similar to the steps involved in the scientific method and the path that a civil lawsuit takes through the U.S. legal system. The article contains excerpts from the trial testimony of several expert witnesses, a cross section, a potentiometric map, and an aerial photograph of the Woburn, Massachusetts area. It also contains a brief history of the foundations of the U.S. legal system, quotes from a federal judge about the role of scientists in our legal system, and quotes stating why the objectives of science and legal trials have to be different.
ISBN 0-471-98572-4
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This resource is referenced here:Subject:
Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water:Groundwater modeling,
Water and society, policy, and management,
Geoscience:Hydrology:Surface Water:Water Quality/Chemistry ,
Environmental Science:Water Quality and Quantity:Point Source Pollution,
Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water:Contaminant hydrology,
Environmental Science:Policy:Environmental Economics,
Environmental Science:Waste:Waste Solid :Industrial Waste,
Environmental Science:Waste:Toxic and Hazardous Wastes:Metals,
Environmental Science:Mineral Resources:Mining
Resource Type: Policy Resources,
Opinion,
Scientific Resources:Research Results,
Overview/Reference Work, Journal Article, References
Research on Learning: Ways Of Learning, Instructional Design
Topics:
Woburn:Wells G and H Superfund Site, Legal System,
Hydrogeology:Computer Modeling, Federal Trial
Keywords: Computer model, hydrogeology, Woburn Toxic Trial, A Civil Action, groundwater
