Considering Case Studies of Chemical Contamination
Jeffrey C. Davis
Published September 2008
Tools for this Unit:
Notes and Resources - For Teacher
State Standards addressed in the unit - see appendix A
This website has a very clear and easy to read explanation of property rights - some history and the difference between mineral rights and surface rights. The important thing is that you have to pay attention to deeds and contracts when buying real estate. http://geology.com/articles/mineral-rights.shtml
This case concerns the area near my school. This unit could be adjusted to other areas that are experiencing dubious environmental concerns in their areas (e.g., Yucca Mountain in Nevada)
Data listing Superfund sites nation wide including spills and releases - Superfund sites listed by state with history and progress for each on this website http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl.htm Oil Spills listed on page 5 of document at this website http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/26_spilldb.pdf
Civil Action. Director, Zaillian, Steven. A movie, starring John Travolta, Robert Duval, and others, about a lawsuit concerning illegally dumped toxic chemicals that caused Leukemia in some citizens in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s. This drama presents the process some citizens of Woburn went through, along with the lawyers on both sides, in an attempt to reach justice. There are no violence, sex, or drug references. There are three instances were “fuck” is uttered. Those instances can easily be muted at 1:34, 36:58, and 59:36
See appendix B for Civil Action study guide
The Case Studies to use in this section of the unit can be found on this website -
The Case Studies to use in this section of the unit can be found on this website - http://ethics.sandiego.edu/resources/cases/HomeOverview.asp The cases I am considering include numbers 28, 29, 37, 70, 83, 86, 94, and 98. The case below is about different peoples' views on Ecotourism in Costa Rica.http://www.sciencecases.org/ecotourism/ecotourism.asp There are numerous case studies available and a teacher can use these or find different ones that resonate with them.
Possible question types and methods for case study discussions. Jigsaw - students will work in small groups with each group taking a particular perspective (be they individuals, coalitions, regions, partisans, etc.) to develop and advocate for. Teacher leader - read this article on “What Not to do When Teaching Cases” by Clyde Freeman Herreid, for tips and methodology (why reinvent the wheel?) http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/teaching/dont.html See appendix C
This case will be #94 from "ethics.sandiego.edu" website found in note #7
The Vieques case was adapted from a case written by Dr. John Wargo with permission
An Acid Canyon case can be found at http://lanl-the-rest-of-the- story.blogspot.com/2008/06/bomb-work-dumping-confirmed-by-raam.html This case was published on a blog and written by Raam Wong, who writes for the Albuquerque Journal. Additional information to consider can be found in the “resources for students and teachers section of these end notes under "Acid Canyon."
This website has lessons, rules, handouts, and rubrics for teachers to teach debating. http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/debate/teaching_debate.htm
For information on Tecton, the Galisteo Basin and the related controversies, we will use links and articles from the Santa Fe New Mexican, the Albuquerque Journal, and partisan web pages and blogs. See the "Resources for students and teachers" for partial list.
National transportation safety board report http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill This website refers to an often-cited list of causes that the National Transportation Safety Board attributed to the Exxon Valdez disaster
Justice Souter of the Supreme Court, June 2008. An interesting site and good information, as cited in the
California Appellate Law Blog http://www.caappellatelaw.com/2008/06/articles/another-category/supreme-court-splits-in-baker-v-exxon-shipping-decision/
Oil Spill Case Histories (1967-1991) Summaries of Significant U.S. and International Spills. A list of 110 oil
spills with detailed information on the nature of the spill and the clean up. http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/26_spilldb.pdf
Another account of the Exxon Valdez disaster with more emphasis on the costs. http://www.boisestate.edu/history/ncasner/hy210/valdez.htm
This article discusses the 595 spills of chemicals, oil, and other incidents caused by the two hurricanes that landed on the gulf coast in 2005. The quantity and damage has been likened to
the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3457319.html
Senator Gregg, R-N.H estimated 200 billion in damage as reported by San Francisco Chronicle's Kathleen Pender, Sept. 27, 2005 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/09/27/BUGADEUAO01.DTL
According to Judd Gregg, R-N.H., as cited in the USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-08-21-katrina-costs_x.htm
Washington Post, March 20, 2006 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/19/AR2006031901078.html
I heard parents discussing these things while at the Bradbury Museum in the suummer of 2008.
Los Alamos news and communications office - how much plutonium was released in Acid Canyon http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/home.story/story_id/1661
Information sheet: Acid Canyon ER 2001-2=1006 http://www.lanl.gov/environment/cleanup/docs/factsheets/fs_acid_canyon_er2001-1006.pdf prepared by LANL
environment department
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) http://www.nuclearactive.org/docs/doublestandard.html CCNS "double standard" LANL proceeding with Acid Canyon Plutonium Soil Cleanup at Level 10 Times Higher than Other LANL Cleanups
LANL News and public Affairs news releases, "Acid Canyon Cleanup Done In A Vacuum, LANL reports their side of the acid canyon situation http://www.lanl.gov/news/releases/archive/01-091.shtml
Santa Fe & Northern New Mexico - News, Phaedra Haywood reported Tecton
Energy's complaint regarding Santa Fe County's drilling ban. Follow up blog is pretty emotional. Haywood, Phaedra. 2008. Tecton Decries Proposed Moratorium. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/Tecton-decries-proposed-moratorium Accessed July 2008
Picture of area west of ABQ where Tecton Energy wants to explore for oil - a
second picture has Tecton well field in Farmington superimposed over the west-of-ABQ site.
http://www.drillingsantafe.info/atriscoflyercolor.pdf For more information on DSF, see their home page, http://drillingsantafe.blogspot.com/
Report on the Galisteo Basin, prepared by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, a cabinet level executive agency http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/main/documents/Galisteo.Basin.Report.pdf This report basically supports contentions made by Drill Santa Fe
this following web page is titled, Environmental Commitment and describes Tecton Energy's philosophy (?) regarding the environment. http://web.archive.org/web/20060825191549/www.tectonenergy.com/envirocomm.htm
This is an archived version of Tecton Energy's website. Recently, (mid-2008), Tecton Energy changed their website to include ONLY contact information. Does this suggest they are changing their image? Does one have to make personal contact for information about Tecton Energy? http://web.archive.org/web/20060825191435/www.tectonenergy.com/Default.htm
http://www.earthworksaction.org/pubs/Fracking.pdf including pictures and diagrams Earthworks, an organization that claims commitment to "protecting communities and the environment" has an informational sheet put out by their "Oil and Gas Accountability Project" on fracking pointing out that hazardous substances such as biocides, diesel fuel, acids, metals, ethylene glycol, corrosion inhibitors, and other chemicals are used in fracking.
This is a very informative article from the Santa Fe New Mexican about oil drilling in general and in New Mexico specifically. It is specifically concerning Tecton Energy and includes several quotes. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Drilling-s-hidden-costs
Tecton's website has recently dropped all the links and pages. The website is currently limited to a page of phone and US Mail contact information.
USA Today, 7/14 article about offshore drilling http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-13-offshore-drilling_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
Comments: