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CHALLENGE
A prominent Toronto Law firm retained Premier to assemble a defense in a lawsuit that was brought against an equipment manufacturing company in Cambridge, Ontario. The project involved the review of more than 1,500 documents enclosed in the Affidavit of Documents assembled in one of at least three suits and cross claims.
APPROACH
To better understand the problem, Premier used Surfer and Visual Groundwater to create a 3-dimensional model of the PCE, TCE and DCE plumes. The forensic work assisted the legal team with presentation of a defense and allow for an additional technical evaluation of the contaminant distribution in the overburden and three rock aquifers. Premier also carried out a detailed groundwater investigation that involved deep overburden drilling (up to 50 m boreholes in boulder ridden sands and silts), fractured bedrock drilling, and deep bedrock drilling. The hydrogeological component involved the installation of multi-level groundwater monitoring wells in which aquifer response tests were carried out so that both vertical and horizontal hydraulic gradient could be determined. Forensic analytical chemistry techniques were employed with the notion of defining the source of the VOC plume migrating onto the site, and build a defense for Premier’s client. Premier’s work has been peer reviewed and cross examined by experienced lawyers and has withstood professional scrutiny.
BUSINESS SOLUTION
Once the defense was presented the plaintiff settled out of court and Premier’s client was able to save thousands of dollars of legal expenses. Another positive outcome was that Premier’s client acquired the land in question and is currently obtaining a Record of Site Condition (RSC) prior to developing the land for commercial purposes.