Erin Brockovich

Bos, Carole D. Erin Brockovich, Famous Trials. Law Buzz. Available from Chttp // www.lawbuzz.com/famous trials/erin brockovich/erin brockovich clil.htm>. 

The popular movie Erin Brockovich, although focusing on the power industry, is an example of how the popular media can simplify the public s perception of chemical exposure. In Erin Brockovich the chemical of concern was hexavalent chromium, Cr +. Hexavalent chromium is listed as a carcinogen by EPA, but complicated questions dealing with exposure (drinking, inhalation, absorption through skin), toxicity levels, and specific health effects were lost in Hollywood s version. 

In December 1987, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG E) reported to the Environmental Protection Agency that it had detected levels of chromium (VI) at its natural gas compression station near Hinkley, California, that were ten times higher than those allowed by government standards. These reports devalued land in the community and sparked the curiosity of Erin Brockovich, who was working in a law office as a secretary. Her passionate investigation into... 

As an example, chromium is found in two different oxidation states, i.e. Cr(m) and Cr(vi). However, while Cr(m) is beneficial to humans (within a certain concentration range), Cr(vi) is toxic, thus leading to the formation of cancers. This particular information has recently been brought to the attention of the public via the film Erin Brockovich , starring Julia Roberts. This film, which was released in 2000, is a true story based... 

Fig. 4.33 Erin Brockovich (Oscar winner Julia Roberts) in the movie titled Erin Brockovich. (Copyright-free Wikipedia picture)...

Fig. 4.34 Erin Brockovich in Hinkley, California in December, 2010. (Picture of San Bernardino Sun, permission obtained from copyright-owner)...

See more on Heavy Metals See Who is Erin Brockovich See more on Bleach... 

A level II study gathers data that are not available in public records. The kinds of data depend on whether the study design is case control or cohort. A level II case-control study typically investigates pathways of exposure for the at-risk population. An investigation of exposure includes interviews with individuals in the at-risk population about their length of residence in the presumed impact area, dietary habits, workplace conditions, and places where children play. It may also include qualitative or semiquantitative modeling of the environmental fate and transport of chemicals of concern (Chapter 2). Samples of body fluids and tissues such as blood, urine, hair, or nails may be analyzed for evidence of exposure to bioaccumulative chemicals such as arsenic, mercury, or PCBs. An effort is made to identify and exclude possible confounding factors. Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action are examples of level II case-control studies. 

The law firm in Erin Brockovich succeeded in their toxic tort lawsuit against a polluting industry, while the law firm of Jan Schlichtman failed in A Civil Action. Discuss the scientific and legal reasons for these different outcomes, including the nature of scientific evidence and the requirements for legal proof in a court of law. 

Discuss the pros and cons of protecting public health from toxic chemical risk using environmental laws such as CERCL A, on the one hand, and using toxic tort lawsuits as exemplified by A Civil Action and Erin Brockovich, on the other. 

As Prosser has stated perhaps more than any other branch of the law, the law of torts is a battleground of social theory .An example in more recent times is the true story of Erin Brockovich, a young woman who successfully launched a toxic torts law suit against a California utility after having discovered Chromium 6 in the well water of a California town. The judgment awarded was 333 million in this... 

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