Expert Testimony in Water Court
Federal District Court
Aerojet Site, Sacramento, CA:
LWS personnel assisted the Southern California Water Company in a lawsuit brought against the Aerojet rocket-testing facility east of Sacramento, California. It was alleged that by-products from rocket combustion had contaminated the local ground water, which was affecting municipal production wells southwest of the Aerojet site. LWS personnel conducted field testing of sediments in the Buffalo Creek channel, which transects the site, and then developed a surface water model using a rainfall-runoff relationship to demonstrate the transport of rocket combustion by-products across the site in the surface water channel prior to infiltrating and percolating to the local ground water table. Mr. Lytle provided expert testimony in deposition; however, the case settled prior to trial.
Murphy Farms, Rose Hill, NC:
It was alleged that releases from a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) cause contamination to the Black River in North Carolina. LWS personnel collected field data and then constructed a QUAL2E flow and water quality model to demonstrate that the alleged releases did not cause any material effect on water quality in the Black River. Mr. Lytle provided expert testimony in deposition in this case; however, the case settled prior to trial.