(1976). |, Buffalo Creek Disaster Remembered 40 Years Later, Association of State Dam Safety Officials. The Buffalo Creek Disaster • Buffalo Creek Hollow was a small valley that consisted of about seventeen coal communities which were adjacent to Buffalo Creek • When operation of the mine commenced in 1945 the practice dumping of slurry, or coal mining waste into the hollow also began. Although a book for laymen, it is still used in many law school civil procedure courses. On February 26, 1972, heavy rains and resulting floods caused the collapse of a coal waste dam on Buffalo Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork River near Man, in Logan County, in the southwestern corner of West Virginia. Because of the defendant's exhaustive discovery as well as our own efforts, the Buffalo Creek case was one in which virtually every discovery mechanism of the Federal Rules was used: oral depositions (nearly 600 - of each plaintiff over the age of six as well as other witnesses), depositions on written interrogatories, written interrogatories under Rule 33, document requests, property inspections, physical asset inspections, medical examinations (each of the 600 plaintiffs was examined both by defendant's physician as well as by our team of psychiatrists), even letters rogatory (to the National Coal Board in England with respect to the events surrounding the similar disaster in Aberfan, Wales, a few years before). (1972). (2) Stern, G.M. That motion was defeated. We were, however, able to settle. (3) U.S. Congress. He told the Sherriff, “The thing looks all right, we are going to do a little work on it.” Others were more concerned. by. Some instructors have used advanced students to critique written work that students produce in simulations. In a brief—perhaps overly brief —coda at the end, Erikson lets the Buffalo Creek catastrophe illuminate the traumatic neuroses that may well be … They blamed the flood on God. Although most people in the valley had enough warning - barely - to make it to the hillside and thus escape serious physical injury, virtually all suffered the horror of seeing their family homes and possessions wash away in the floodwaters. This indicates that internal erosion from increased hydrologic loading, or perhaps from seepage along the recently installed spillway pipe are more likely failure scenarios. The Buffalo Creek Disaster: How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-Mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company- And Won. The course will explore a selection of celebrated mass tort lawsuits, such as those involving the Buffalo Creek disaster, the Woburn leukemia case, Agent Orange, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, cigarette smoking, the Dalkon Shield, Bendectin, MTBE, and asbestos. Buffalo Creek Disaster Book Review “Oyez, oyez, oyez” The law comes to life like never before in The Buffalo Creek Disaster written by Gerald M. Stern. Define. Although a book for laymen, it is still used in many law school civil procedure courses. Over the next three hours it would devastate the communities of Saunders, Pardee, Lorado, Craneco, Lundale, Stove, and 11 others. All three impoundments had been built with almost no engineering involvement. The case also spawned two books. The resulting flood killed 125 people and caused over $50 million in damage. Dam inspections need to be performed by a competent professional, who has adequate knowledge and experience in inspecting such facilities. On February 26, 1972, a huge earthen dam constructed by a coal company without any engineering input collapsed. Description & Background On February 26, 1972 at approximately 8:00 A.M., Coal Slurry Impoundment #3 at the Buffalo Creek coal mine in Logan County, West Virginia gave way sending millions of gallons of water and millions of cubic yards of coal slurry down the Buffalo Creek. Vintage. For the flood that followed the collapse of West Virginia's Buffalo Creek Dam in 1972—like the one in Idaho—was a manmade “natural disaster.” It … R. at 3841, 3379. This site uses cookies to enhance functionality and performance. The other, a runner-up for a National Book Award in 1975, is Everything In Its Path, by Kai Erikson describing the story of the disaster from a sociologist's point of view. Under the contingency arrangement, we also shared in the settlement. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is somewhere between 1.3 to 9 percent of the general population (Breslau, 1991) and 15 percent in psychiatric inpatients (Saxe, 1993). dakota_hills6. Diversity of statehold. 1972 Buffalo Creek, Dam Collapse (West Virginia). During his last visit (approximately two hours before the failure), he decided to add another spillway pipe. Study 44 buffalo creek disaster flashcards from Francesca P. on StudyBlue. Over the course of several years, that fund was used to help build a community center in the village that was being reconstructed nearest the dam, to build and equip the first fire station in the valley, to help fund the erection of a health clinic in the valley, and for other matters. Unlike a traditional pleading, the statement was in narrative form and vividly described our clients' plights. What Happened in February 1972 at Buffa…. About two years after the disaster, we obtained a cash settlement of $13.5 million - the equivalent of perhaps $25 - $30 million in today's terms. The Book Buffalo Creek disaster written by Gerald Stern is an expose on the wrongdoings of the NewYork based Pittston company but also a summation of the events leading to the 13.5-million-dollar settlement awarded to the victims. Buffalo Creek Flood/Disaster (1972)-125 killed, 4000 homeless, 1100 injured (1973). Discuss the concept of corporate veil. (1976). The following documents are included in the file: Complaint (pages 1 - 25) Arnold & Porter agreed to bring a lawsuit on behalf of those survivors who wished to join in it. The only plans for Impoundment #3 was a sketch that had been drawn by the onsite vice president, Mr. Steve Dasovich. ld. What is meant by the terms, "survivor s…. Missing Dorinda L. Adkins, 3 months, Lorado, WV Samuel Carter, 20 months, Lundale, WV Roscoe Clay, 74, Lorado, WV James N. Davis, 2, Stowe, WV Nancy Hopson, 1, Crites, WV One, The Buffalo Creek Disaster, about the case itself, was by Jerry Stern. The litigation Stern wrote about arose from a 1972 disaster when a dam collapsed on the Buffalo Creek in West Virginia causing 125 deaths, 1000 destroyed homes and hundreds of injuries. A classic book on this harrowing subject, the re-telling of the Buffalo Creek flood in 1972 is wrenching and heart-breaking, also an indictment of a coal company that could have, and should have, provided safeguards against the very thing that caused this disaster in the first place, i.e., an unstable sediment dam that burst and wiped out over one hundred people and affected 17 towns. The Buffalo Creek flood was a disaster that occurred on February 26, 1972, when the Pittston Coal Company's coal slurry impoundment dam #3, located on a hillside in Logan County, West Virginia, burst, four days after having been declared "satisfactory" by a federal mine inspector. What is meant by the phrase, "piercing…. Recovering Community on the Anniversity of Buffalo Creek Disaster by T.P. Extensive interviews were conducted of the client families in Buffalo Creek at their homes (many of them trailers that had been provided by the government after the disaster). The Buffalo Creek Disaster. Many lives were lost and much property destroyed in this calamity, which became known as the Buffalo Creek disaster. © Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP 2020 All Rights Reserved. 1. Negligent strip mining and heavy rain produced a raging flood. Over twenty small coal mining settlements lay between the dam and the mouth of the valley. As part of its pro bono program, Arnold & Porter undertook the case on a contingent basis. Those at the upper end of the valley disappeared leaving barely a trace. Buffalo Creek Disaster Rough Draft The buffalo creek disaster is one of the worst coal mining incidents in the history of the united states. Topic: Buffalo Creek Paper In February of 1972, there was a collapse of a coal waste impoundment dam that was situated along the Buffalo Creek in Logan County of West Virginia. You may choose other topics from the book for the remaining two thirds of your essay. So that a substantial recovery could be obtained, the suit was brought against Pittston, a major coal company which was the parent of the entity that purportedly owned the dam. What were the first explanation of the disaster? On his way to tell his staff to install it, he ran into the local Sherriff who had been called by locals because of the fear of the impoundment failing. 239 S. Limestone Street Tree roots, abandoned pipes and other penetrations into the dam can lead to failures or incidents. In a few short minutes, the dam virtually disappeared, and a torrent of water began a 17-mile trip down the narrow Buffalo Creek valley in rural Logan County, West Virginia. While there were many lawsuits arising from the tragedy, the one Gerald Stern litigated involved more than The flood that resulted killed one hundred and twenty-five people and caused damage of over fifty million dollars. Also, downstream first-hand accounts noted an increased, muddy flow for a time before the over 30-foot wall of water hit. Mr. Denny Gibson, a heavy equipment operator at the dam, visited the dam several times that morning and with each visit told several residents of the possibility of dam failure. Given the limited amount of spillway capacity, overtopping was a significant concern. Dam designs need to be reviewed by competent professional engineer. If you do nothing, you are giving implied consent to the use of cookies on this website. Soon after the disaster, the coal company began making offers to settle claims - for immediate but relatively small cash payments relating primarily to property losses. Include at least a brief discussion on sustainability. Rather than accept these settlements as complete payment, a group of Buffalo Creek residents decided to approach Arnold & Porter for help. The psychiatrists from the University of Cincinnati have also published papers on the effects of such disasters on individuals - particularly children - and have continued follow up studies in the valley over the years. What was the defendant's (Pittston) ini…. Study 44 buffalo creek disaster flashcards from Francesca P. on StudyBlue. Therefore, several site visits were made by both mine staff and community members. Buffalo Creek Disaster case as an introduction to civil procedure. The case came very close to trial. This was the first issue addressed - on a motion to dismiss that the defendant filed almost as soon as the complaint itself had been filed. On February 26, 1972, a coal waste dam, located on Buffalo Creek near Maris, West Virginia, was overrun by heavy rains and collapsed, releasing millions of gallons of water in a flood which caused more than 100 deaths, thousands of injuries and millions of dollars of … The effect on the survivors was devastating. Litigation materials from The Buffalo Creek Disaster, A Civil Action, and UM Law’s Environmental Justice Clinic and Community Equity Lab provide case studies. The exact cause of failure is unknown. "act of god" ... after reading the trial brief. (4) U.S. Congress (1972). Published by Stern in 1976, his book chronicles the events preceding and following the buffalo creek flood of 1972; with particular focus on the legal aspects of this incident. The authority for the dam was the onsite vice president who visited the dam many times and continued to insist that there was no need to fear. All rights reserved. Seven were never The defendant then embarked upon an extensive program of discovery. What was the settlement for? Our clients poured out their hearts in telling their stories, and, with the help of the psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists, and telling quotes from diaries, letters, and other materials, we prepared as a "more definite statement" a detailed and personal story of the disaster. A memo by AEP safety engineer Jim Beller later compiled this experience for management in the safety department. ( 全部 5 条) 热门 / 最新 / 好友 / 只看本版本的评论 江流 2016-01-27 11:50:03 法律出版社2015版 It appears that there was little to no engineering involved in the design or installation of this spillway pipe. Proper quality control and quality assurance during construction of dams is vital to the safe operation of dams. The mine did install a largely inadequate 24-inch pipe that they called the emergency spillway. The Buffalo Creek disaster had significant impact on our nation. The Buffalo Creek Disaster. They came to Arnold & Porter because it had recently completed a landmark suit concerning the United Mine Workers pension fund, achieving a settlement and reformation of the fund that was considered a significant victory by West Virginia coal miners, among others. This case study summary was peer-reviewed by Gregory Richards, P.E., Project Engineer, Gannett Fleming, Inc. Association of State Dam Safety Officials Impoundments #1 and #2 were downstream of Impoundment #3 and subsequently failed as well. The other, a runner-up for a National Book Award in 1975, is Everything In Its Path, by Kai Erikson describing the story of … how much is that is 2016 $ 65 mill (minus legal and contingency fees) ... Buffalo Creek Disaster. The Buffalo Creek Disaster How Survivors Of One Worst Disasters In Coal Mining Brought Suit Against Pany And Won By Gerald M Stern Buffalo Creek Disaster Coal Dams Fail 1972 The Pop Dig Buffalo Creek Disaster Coal Dams Fail 1972 The Pop Dig … For discussion of my use of Buffalo Creek in civil procedure, see Elizabeth N. Schneider, Rethinking the Teaching of Civil Procedure, 37 J. the deadliest floods in U.S. history occurred in southern West Virginia's Buffalo Creek hollow. The book written byGerald M. Stern mainly focuses on one of his legal cases, which he was emotionally involved despite that he was the main lawyer representing the plaintiffs. (2010). The firm chose to take from its share about $500,000 (the equivalent of perhaps $1 million in today's terms) to create a foundation to help the Buffalo Valley community recreate itself. Upstream dam failures can fail downstream dams. The Buffalo Creek Disaster. Schwartz-Barcott, Social Research Services On February 23, 2002 a poignant and sociologically rich public ceremony was held at the little white frame Saunders Free Will Baptist Church along Buffalo Creek, in Lorado, West Virginia. Gerald M. Stern (Author) › … West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Those at the lower end of the valley suffered serious flood damage. ... What reason did the federal court have jurisdiction over the Buffalo Creek Disaster case for? Most of the balance was distributed to the adult plaintiffs, in part for property losses but most substantially for what we had all come to call "psychic impairment.". Buffalo Creek Disaster: The Buffalo Creek Disaster By Gerald Stern mining incidents in the history of the united states. As the rain fell the water began to rise upstream of Impoundment #3. The 21 recommendations made by the Citizens’ commission regarding the Buffalo Creek Disaster include (Erikson, 1976): Prosecuting the Buffalo Mining Pittston Company in front of a grand jury for their negligence The state suing the company for the damages to roads and brides 13. However, those who visited the dam within minutes of failure noted that the pool had dropped significantly, reporting between 6 and 8 feet of freeboard. Assume that, in order to clear the way for approval of a proposed oil refinery in Maine by removing the potential threat to Pittston's financial condition posed by the Buffalo Creek disaster, before being sued by any survivors of that disaster, Pittston and Buffalo Mining Company sue the survivors in federal court asking for a declaratory judgment, contending that they (Pittston and BMC)are not liable … Method of Evaluation: Class participation, case briefs, diagrams, outlines, memoranda, and two-part final examination (take-home and multiple choice). Buffalo Creek Disaster Author: Janet Rifkin Last modified by: Amity Lee-Bradley Created Date: 2/21/2001 10:04:58 PM Document presentation format: On-screen Show Company: Department of Legal Studies Other titles: Times New Roman Arial Wingdings Soaring Buffalo Creek Disaster … A dam burst and flooded the Buffalo Creek Valley, killing abou…. The Adobe Acrobat file available below contains copies of original documents used in the Buffalo Creek civil case. See, e.g., Paul Spiegelman, Civil Procedure and Alternative Inspections had been performed intermittently by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Dams need to be designed by a professional engineer who has adequate experience in the design of dams. The majority of victims of the Buffalo Creek Flood and the Coconut Grove Fire were noted to have post-traumatic symptomatology. Our lawyers and paralegals put in more than 43,000 hours on the case - a very substantial commitment for any firm but particularly for a firm a good bit smaller than we are now. We had been able to assemble a group of renowned experts, including famous Harvard psychologists Erik Erikson and Robert Coles; Yale psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, known for his work on the "survivor syndrome" (the guilt that survivors of a disaster feel when they realize they have survived while their friends and neighbors have perished); Yale sociologist Kai Erikson; and a team of adult and child psychiatrists from the University of Cincinnati. On February 26, 1972 at approximately 8:00 A.M., Coal Slurry Impoundment #3 at the Buffalo Creek coal mine in Logan County, West Virginia gave way sending millions of gallons of water and millions of cubic yards of coal slurry down the Buffalo Creek. Beginning on February 22, 1972, significant rainfall began to fall in the area. Beller specifically mentioned that "most of our hydrogen tube The disaster took place on February 1972, whereby a dam owned by Pittston Company failed because of improper drainage measures following heavy rains. The Buffalo Creek Disaster. (5) History Channel. To be able to recover against the parent and to preserve diversity jurisdiction, only Pittston was named, on a piercing the corporate veil theory. Lead attorney in Buffalo Creek case. (1) Kelley, J.H. b. In a matter of minutes, 118 were dead and over 4,000 people were left homeless. The Buffalo Creek Flood and Disaster: Official Report from the Governor’s Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry. 41 (1987), and Elizabeth M. Schneider, Structuring Complexity, Because of this failure, hearings were held in the United States Senate. Prior to the inception of the ‘corporate entity’, a partner in a partnership was held personally liable for all the debts of the company. What was once a close knit set of communities along the 17-mile valley was essentially destroyed. and study the key litigation documents of the Buffalo Creek case to see how litigators use the . Public Law 92-367. The impoundment was used as a settling pond for mining operation and was the third impoundment in that valley. Senator Henry Jackson opened the hearings by stating in part, “These occurrences (pointing to Buffalo Creek and similar failures) point up the grim fact that there are innumerable dams in existence throughout the United States which are under no effective public control to insure that they were competently designed and constructed initially, that they are being adequately inspected and maintained, or that the design remains adequate under current hydrologic conditions in the watershed.” These hearings led to the passage of Public Law 92-367, created the National Dam Inspection Program, and gave Secretary of the Army authority to begin an inventory and inspection of all the nation’s dams. A young boy who survived the flood surveys the damage as others begin cleaning up on Feb. 26, 1972 (Photo source: The Herald-Dispatch copyright 1999). One of worst floods in US occurred here 26 February 1972, when Buffalo Mining Co. impoundment dam for mine waste broke, releasing over 130 million gallons of black waste water: killed 125; property losses over $50 million; and thousands left homeless. About 125 families signed up, including over 600 individuals. R. at 3348. Vintage. With the completion of the discovery program, the defendant filed a long-expected summary judgment motion, arguing that since most of the plaintiffs had suffered no physical injury - no "touching" from the flood waters - they could not, under the West Virginia law, claim damages for psychological suffering. About 125 people were killed, and hundreds of others were left homeless or with severely damaged homes. They regularly found deficiencies that were left unaddressed and stated in a letter in April 1971 that all inspections covering a period from September 19, 1966 to March 25, 1971 had been unsatisfactory. The defendant then sought to challenge other underpinnings of the suit - particularly the claim for psychological injury - by seeking a "more definite statement" of the complaint. One, The Buffalo Creek Disaster, about the case itself, was by Jerry Stern. In late February 1972 a coal waste impoundment dam along the Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia collapsed. The wave washed away or demolished over 500 homes, left over 4,000 homeless and took the lives of 125 people. One of the concerns was the lack of ability to handle large amounts of surface runoff, and the Department called for an emergency spillway to be installed. in The Buffalo Creek Disaster. Jerry Stern, the partner in charge of pro bono for the firm, headed our trial team. Hearing before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs United States Senate July 20, 1972. A strategic decision was also made to bring the case in federal court in West Virginia rather than in state court. We defeated this motion too, setting the ground work for recognition of the kind of emotional distress that the people of Buffalo Creek had suffered. Many of us, lawyers and paralegals alike, spent months in West Virginia, shepherding our clients through depositions, interrogatory answering, document collecting, medical examinations, and the like. The last portion was paid out to the youngest just a few years ago. Indeed, we were perhaps one of the earliest legal teams to use in a civil case jury experts to learn how a Charleston, West Virginia, jury would likely respond to the plaintiffs' claims. 20 terms. The disaster … September 2, 1972 West Virginia Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry into the Buffalo Creek Flood released its report.The Commission concluded after eight public hearings, 91 witnesses, and 2,000 pages of transcript that Pittston “has shown flagrant disregard for the safety of residents of Buffalo Creek and other persons who live near coal-refuse impoundments.” LEGAL EDUC. You may change your cookie settings at any time. 13.5 mill. Because the elevation of the reservoir behind the dam was only controlled by water slowly seeping through the coal waste and the undersized spillway pipe, overtopping was a significant concern. Lexington, KY 40508, © 2020 Copyright Association of State Dam Safety Officials. The disaster at Buffalo Creek remains one of America’s most … 11 . The suit would have to break new ground, as it would attempt to address the psychological and communal losses that had been suffered in the disaster, rather than just property losses. His last visit was approximately 10 minutes before the dam failed. About $2 million of that went into a trust fund for the plaintiffs who were then under the age of 18. Stern, G.M. The Buffalo Creek Disaster, February 26, 1972. Several people visiting the dam reported that there was little to no freeboard and the water was still rising. 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