Fisher et al. v. Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. et al. - Case Study in McIntosh, AL
Overview
The plaintiffs in this case were claiming property damage resulting from DDT emissions from the Ciba Special Chemicals facility in McIntosh, AL. DDT was produced at the plant from 1952 to 1965. A view of the site and the area of concern are presented in Video 1.
EnviroComp's Role
We were retained by the defense attorneys and asked to read and review relevant documents and reports, examine the technical reports and computer files prepared by the plaintiffs' experts, and understand the scientific aspects of this case, particularly in relation to the alleged atmospheric transport of DDT from the Ciba facility to the neighboring community.
We concluded that DDT concentrations at plaintiff residences were not greater than typical values in the region and the US. We found no indication in the measured data that CIBA is the source of DDT at plaintiff residences, especially because measured data shows no clear decrease in concentration with distance from Ciba.
A fly-by animation (Video 1) was produced, and examples of our results and conclusions are presented in Figure 1, showing the concentrations of DDT dust samples in homes, and Figure 2, showing the concentrations of DDT soil samples in soils.
Visuals
