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A federal judge on Thursday set closing arguments for Feb. 11 in the state’s lawsuit involving the poultry industry’s alleged role in polluting the Illinois River watershed. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell, who is presiding over the trial, which began Sept. 24 in Tulsa, gave the parties until Feb. 5 to submit proposed written findings to the court. The state’s lawsuit against the poultry industry, filed in 2005, alleges that poultry companies are legally responsible for the handling and disposal of poultry waste – also known as litter – that the state says has damaged portions of the Illinois River watershed.

Attorneys representing the poultry industry rested their case Wednesday, but trial testimony is not quite over. On Thursday, Frizzell granted the state’s request to allow rebuttal testimony by a pair of pollution expert witnesses. The court scheduled that to take place Jan. 25-26.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com.

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Two McGill University faculty members may be called to testify as expert witnesses in a landmark California Supreme Court case that will determine whether California’s current prohibition on equal marriage is unconstitutional. The case, which began last Monday, will challenge Proposition 8, the California Marriage Protection Act. The legislation reinstated a ban on equal marriage in the state when it was approved by 52.3 per cent of California voters in November 2008.

A plaintiff’s witness list includes marriage expert witness Katherine Young, a professor in the McGill Faculty of Religious Studies, who “purports to be knowledgeable in comparative religion and on what universally constitutes marriage.” Paul Nathanson, a researcher in the same faculty, is also included on the list and is described as someone who “purports to be knowledgeable about religious attitudes toward Proposition 8.”

For more, see mcgilldaily.com.

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In the Guidebook for Airport Safety Management Systems aviation safety expert witness Mac McCall, A.A.E, writes:

The International Civil Aviation Organization, recognizing these facts and that “the public’s perception of aviation safety is largely based on the number of aircraft accidents rather than the accident rate,” issued a resolution to “reduce the numbers of accidents and fatalities irrespective of the volumes of air traffic.” The ICAO further provides guidance on how to achieve this resolution, including the recommendation to “develop a civil aviation safety management framework and recommendations for improving safety.”

In recent years a great deal of effort has been devoted to understanding how accidents happen. It is generally accepted that most accidents result from human error. It would be easy to conclude that these human errors indicate carelessness or lack of skills on the job, but such a statement is not accurate. Accident investigators are finding that the human error is only the last link in a chain that leads to an accident. Accidents cannot be prevented by changing people; they can be prevented only when we address the underlying causal factors.

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In the Guidebook for Airport Safety Management Systems aviation accident analysis expert witness Mac McCall, A.A.E, writes:

There are two ways of thinking about safety. The traditional way is that safety has been about avoiding costs. In this sense, many aviation organizations have been bankrupted by the cost of a single major accident. This makes a strong case for safety, but the cost of occurrences is only part of the story. Efficiency is the second way of thinking about safety. Research has shown that safety and efficiency are positively linked. Safety pays off in reduced losses, enhanced productivity, and lower insurance costs. In 2006, the Port of Seattle opened a ramp tower to assist with ramp operations and improve safety and efficiency. The Port’s insurance company agreed that the liability had been reduced due to the ramp tower and lowered the insurance costs. This is an excellent example of how safety, efficiency and costs are linked.

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Building envelope performance expert witnesses may opine on issues relating to the National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Housing Components

Siding and Accessories
Outside materials typically last a lifetime. Brick, vinyl, engineered wood, stone (both natural and manufactured), and fiber cement will last as long the house exists. Exterior wood shutters are expected to last 20 years, depending on weather conditions. Gutters have a life expectancy of more than 50 years if made of copper and for 20 years if made of aluminum. Copper downspouts last 100 years or more, while aluminum ones will last 30 years.

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Building distress expert witnesses may opine on issues relating to the National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Housing Components

U.S. HOUSING STOCK:
The 2005 American Housing Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that there are more than 124 million homes in the housing stock, with a median age of 32 years. About one-third of the housing stock was built in 1960 or earlier. About 10 percent was built in the 1960s, and another 20 percent was built in the 1970s. Of the remainder, 13 percent was built in the 1980s, another 13 percent was built in the 1990s, and 8 percent in the first years of the 21st century. Of the total stock of 124.3 million housing units, about 109 million are occupied housing units, 11.6 million are vacant and about 4 million are seasonal. Two-thirds of all units in the nation’s housing stock are single-family detached or attached, 8 percent are in buildings with 2 to 4 units, and about 17 percent are in buildings with 5 or more units. The remaining 7 percent of the stock is in HUD-code homes. About 18 percent of the occupied housing stock is in the Northeast, 23 percent is in the Midwest, 37 percent is in the South, and 21 percent is in the West.

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In the Guidebook for Airport Safety Management Systems aviation expert witness Mac McCall, A.A.E, writes:

The aviation industry always has quoted safety at the forefront of its priorities, and as a general rule, has demonstrated diligence in learning from its mistakes and implementing changes that lead to further improvement. This somewhat reactive approach produced a steady decline in accident rates until the mid-1980s. Since then, the fatal accident rate in air transport operations has remained fairly stable, despite a growth in traffic during the same period. This trend implies little improvement in safety on the operation/accident ratio and suggests that as traffic grows, the total number of accidents also will grow.

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Structural failures experts may opine on the National Association of Home Builders & Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components:

How many years of service can a home owner reasonably expect from the various components of a home? An NAHB study sponsored by Bank of America Home Equity takes some of the mystery out of the subject.

The life expectancies of the components of a home depend on the quality of installation, the level of maintenance, weather and climate conditions, and the intensity of use. Some components may remain functional but become obsolete due to changing styles and preferences or improvements in newer products while others may have a short life expectancy due to intensive use. The average life expectancy for some components has increased during the past 35 years because of new products and the introduction of new technologies, while the average life of others has declined. NAHB’s last such study on the life expectancy of housing components was published in Housing Economics in August 1993.

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For the International Building Code expert witness:

The International Builders’ Show (IBS), January 19, 2010, Las Vegas, is the largest annual building industry trade show in the country. Billed as “THE place to see and discuss the hottest products on the market and network with your friends and allies,” IBS offers more than 175 education sessions taught by industry experts.

You can attend the show and not be a member of NAHB; however, NAHB members are eligible for discounted registration fees. The International Builders’ Show is the largest annual light construction show in the world with attendees coming from over 70 countries. Show organizers state “We are proud to be one of the US trade shows to be chosen by the US Department of Commerce to participate in the International Buyer Program.”

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Building regulations expert witnesses at the The National Association of Home Builders work with other organizations to develop and revise building codes and standards that affect single and multifamily housing, commercial buildings, and remodeling in the areas of structural, fire, energy, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, and accessibility. NAHB studies proposed changes to decide whether they improve quality at a cost that’s affordable to first-time home buyers and supports those that increase value to the consumer.

For more, see www.nhb.org.