The need

Attorneys representing a highway construction company against a Clean Water Act case brought by an environmental coalition needed a geology expert with a strong understanding of sediment flows to bolster their defense. The coalition accused the defendant of creating substantial sediment flows into a nearby bay during a construction project. As the defense did not believe there was sufficient evidence to prove this, the ideal expert would need to be able to evaluate whether there in fact had been any significant sediment build up in the areas claimed by the plaintiffs.

Our approach

From conversations with the clients, we understood that they would accept a hydrogeologist or expert from another specialty if they could credibly evaluate the extent of the sediment build up. We went to work to find the precise fit.

The expert

We found an expert with an M.S. in Geology and a PhD in Marine Sciences that was a consultant. He was a licensed Geologist and very knowledgeable about the region of the complaint. Furthermore, he taught undergraduate and graduate level college classes on sediment transportation and had inspected over 50 construction sites for sediment transport. Additionally, he had written over 20 papers and regularly presented at conferences. Finally, he had served as an expert witness, providing testimony, depositions, and expert reports in over 20 legal cases most of which involved sediment transport. Both parties reached an amicable agreement and a consent judgment was filed.