Toxics Law Reporter Index-Summary

ECUADOR

– Oil waste claims against Chevron, stay of arbitration sought (S.D.N.Y.), 48; arbitration may proceed, 234; Ecuadorians to appeal, 256; plaintiffs must produce documents, 1274; documentary film waived attorney-client privilege (E.D. Pa.), 1333; document production upheld (2d Cir.), 1334

ELECTRICITY

– Clean Air Act (CAA)

– – Cinergy, Ind. emission increase was not violation (7th Cir.), 1104; DOJ seeks rehearing, 1283
– – Duke Energy, permit suit untimely (S.D. Ind.), 978
– – New source review

See NEW SOURCE REVIEW

– – Nuisance suits to cut electric plants' greenhouse gas emissions, ruling discussed, 182; (U.S., rev sought), 797; full review opposed (brief filed), 887; (amicus briefs filed), 948; (rev grant), 1272

– Clean Water Act (CWA)

– – Chesapeake Bay tributary, coal ash from landfill, 57; Md. sues Mirant Power (D. Md.), 324
– – RRI Energy, Pa., suit planned over coal ash and refuse disposal, 526

– Stationary generator engines, EPA publishes emissions limits, 194
– Superfund cleanups, financial assurance, 16; affected industries, 33

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

– Ed. Note: For a list of selected articles, BNA products, and Internet sources, see back page of each issue.

ELECTRONICS

– Cathode ray tubes, Hong Kong, illegal export, 80
– Natural resource damages, TCE, electronics plant (N.J. Super. Ct.), 32

ELECTROPLATING

– RCRA, evidence of prior conviction excluded from criminal trial (S.D.W. Va.), 349
– Superfund, owner of leased equipment liable as facility owner (N.D. Ill.), 141
– VOCs, five firms to pay cleanup costs (N.D. Ill.), 833

EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT (EPCRA)

– Aluminum firm, civil penalty, 103
– Seafood processor, diesel fuel, Dutch Harbor, charges settled (D. Alaska), 405

EMPLOYMENT

– Hostile work environment, scientist's CAA whistleblower claim denied (11th Cir.), 216
– Mineral wool facility, conduct of state enforcement workers, award (E.D. Pa.), 244
– Pesticides, farm workers, FIFRA, jurisdiction (9th Cir.), 102

ENERGY

– Climate change, Hurricane Katrina, Miss. property owners' suit (5th Cir.), 180; appeal dismissed, 541; (U.S., rev sought), 910
– Dioxins, waste-to-energy plant charged with excessive emissions (Conn. Super. Ct.), 866
– Electricity

See ELECTRICITY

– Nuclear reactors, waste collection by Energy Dept., contract breach (Fed. Cl.), 954
– Oil and gas

See OIL AND GAS

– TVA

See TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

– Administration

– – CAA advisory committee, lobbyists excluded, 923
– – Deputy administrator, Perciasepe confirmed, 16
– – Enforcement and compliance officer, Bogoshian named, 146
– – Inspector Gen., Elkins confirmed, 626
– – Research and development director, Anastas confirmed, 16

– Enforcement priorities

– – Cleanup efficiency, flexibility emphasized, 924
– – 15 areas named, 34
– – Integrated Cleanup Initiative launched, 218; draft plan released, 1320
– – Lewis (R-Cal) promises full evaluation of regulatory process, 1260
– – States seek deadline for emission reductions, 1141
– – Top issues, Outlook 2010, 86

– Federal facilities, EPA review process found inadequate, 572
– Greenhouse gas emissions

See GLOBAL WARMING

– Lead shot, bullets and fishing sinkers, EPA denies petition to regulate, 892; environmental groups to challenge EPA, 956
– Shipment of hazardous waste, global standards, 15
– Superfund

See SUPERFUND

– TSCA authority, plan for high-risk chemicals, 13

EPA

See ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

EPCRA

See EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT (EPCRA)

See EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

– BPA, reducing infants' exposure considered, 1073; BPA banned from baby bottles, 1244
– Chemicals, REACH registration discussed, Special Report, 1114
– Waste sludge spill, Hungary, safety and liability rules reconsidered, 1083

EVIDENCE

– Accutane and inflammatory bowel disease, evidence improperly barred (N.J. Super. Ct.), 798
– Asbestos

– – Plaintiff's settlement data (E.D. Pa.), 53
– – Prima facie requirements apply to asbestos claims only (Ohio), 452

– Benzene, worker's cancer suit remanded (Tex. Ct. App.), 968
– Class certification, evidentiary and burden of proof standards, Insight, 628
– Contribution right, arranger liability not shown by circumstantial evidence (N.D.N.Y.), 1314
– Experts

See EXPERT WITNESSES

– Greenhouse gases, Daubert test for scientific reliability applied to EPA rule, Insight, 195
– HRT and cancer link, reliance on allegedly misleading statement inapplicable to drug suits (W. Va.), 1338
– Insurance, extrinsic evidence relevant to defense duty (D. Mass.), 350
– Metoclopramide and tardive dyskinesia, sufficient product identification presented (S.D. Ala.), 373
– Neurontin and suicide

See NEURONTIN

– Pain pumps, FDA clearance records admissible in product liability case (D. Or.), 1100
– RCRA, evidence of prior conviction excluded from criminal trial (S.D.W. Va.), 349
– Salmonella in peanut butter, causation not shown (N.D. Ga.), 1030
– Scientific evidence, challenging peer-reviewed articles, Insight, 651
– Silica, lung disease, causation testimony (Tenn.), 22
– Tobacco industry, Fla. plaintiffs may use certain Engle jury findings (11th Cir.), 744; award upheld (Fla. Ct. App.), 1334
– Tylenol, liver cirrhosis, manufacturer (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 96
– Vaccines and autism

See VACCINES

– Viagra and stroke, causation evidence lacking (E.D. La.), 456

EXEMPTIONS

– CAA, small emitters, best available technology (S.D. Ohio), 122
– Clean Water Act (CWA)

– – Fishing boat permit exemption, extending

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 5301

– – Permit requirements, EPA exemptions vacated (U.S., rev den), 167; EPA developing legal protection for applicators, 192; safety concerns over proposed permits raised, 245; OMB reviews EPA proposal, 471

– HRT, Mich. fraud exception not barred (E.D. Pa.), 1071
– RCRA

– – Burning of wastes to make fuel, EPA withdraws rule, 572
– – Incinerator waste at Tex. plant, exclusion proposed, 1013
– – Sediment exclusion granted to Tenn. refinery, 220
– – Wire maker's waste water sludge, EPA proposes exclusion from list, 294

– Superfund, fiduciary exemption protects trustee/cleanup contractor (N.D. Cal.), 1074

EXPERT WITNESSES

– Accutane, depression and suicide, causation study (N.J. Super. Ct.), 114
– Bacteria in baby formula, lawyers' loss of pro hac vice status upheld (N.C.), 703
– Benzene, bone marrow disease, testimony exclusion affirmed (5th Cir.), 997
– Carbon monoxide exposure from rented truck, evidence unreliable (3rd Cir.), 1179
– Class certification, circuit-by-circuit overview, Insight, 1169
– Diacetyl, popcorn consumption and lung disease link not proved (E.D. Wash.), 726
– Drain cleaner with lye, design defect claims (N.Y. App. Div.), 24
– Dursban, exterminator's lymphoma claim, expert unreliable (W.D. Pa.), 235
– Fentanyl, lethal dose, doctor would have prescribed patch even with warning (S.D. Ohio), 1340
– Gadolinium contrast dye, most of plaintiff's experts allowed (N.D. Ohio), 457
– Hexavalent chromium, watchband (W.D. La.), 76
– Horse antibiotic, family's ailments, doctor not expert (N.M. Ct. App.), 1098
– HRT and cancer risk, short-term use testimony admissible (D.P.R.), 1308
– Hydrogen sulfide from faulty drum, injured lacked evidence (8th Cir.), 543
– Manganese exposure, Parkinson's, speculative testimony (6th Cir.), 941
– Medical malpractice

– – Declaration signed on penalty of perjury satisfies affidavit law (Nev.), 671
– – Pitocin, defendant need not testify as expert (8th Cir.), 829

– Metoclopramide

– – Causation not addressed by treating physicians' testimony (S.D.W. Va.), 1277
– – Warning label, doctor's prescribing testimony raises fact issue (M.D. Fla.), 1341

– Mirapex, link to compulsive behavior not shown (8th Cir.), 1336
– Pain pumps, opinion testimony unreliable, summary judgment affirmed (11th Cir.), 857
– Paint fumes, chemical sensitivity proof rejected (Kan.), 1123
– Paxil, suicide, dismissal of suit under learned intermediary doctrine affirmed (11th Cir.), 209
– Pesticide DBCP, witness tampering in Nicaraguan workers' case (Cal. Super. Ct.), 722
– Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), neurological causation testimony unreliable (Iowa), 159
– Seroquel and diabetes, expert's methodology unreliable (11th Cir.), 341
– Silica, lung disease, causation testimony (Tenn.), 22
– Trasylol, expert's regulatory testimony excluded (S.D. Fla.), 1158
– Zicam and loss of smell, expert wrongly excluded (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.), 1337
– Zyprexa, discovery, distribution of confidential documents (2d Cir.), 915