Opinion ID: 75555
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Evidence of Endangerment

Text: 69 Former LCP employees testified that they suffered serious skin and respiratory conditions from the wastewater on the cellroom floors. 32 A November 1992 memorandum from Taylor to Randall showed Taylor's concern for needed repairs to avert severe safety and environmental problems. Govt. Ex. 1-5. The urinalysis testing on employees showed an increase in the number with mercury levels which exceeded the 150 action level from 1986 to 1993. R21-294-96. Taylor admitted that most of the employees in the cellroom were removed to other plant locations before any medical condition occurred but said that he did not see any reason to draw any correlation between the rise in the number of employees exposed to excess mercury and the dumping of hazardous wastes and mercury. Id. at 294, 296. 33 70 Expert testimony and reports linked exposure to mercury and caustic to a variety of serious health problems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) report on sodium hydroxide caustic indicated that local contact with caustic could result in extensive damage to tissues, with resultant blindness, cutaneous burns, and perforations of the alimentary tract, with potential for development of squamous cell carcinomas. Govt. Ex. 17-7b. The NIOSH report on inorganic mercury warned of the effects of mercury and mercury vapors to the central nervous system. Govt. Ex. 17-7c. Dr. Teitelbaum testified that exposure to caustic could cause burns ranging from first- to third-degree and could be lethal, and that exposure to mercury could cause mild tremors, personality changes, some detectable neurological abnormalities, changes in kidney function to severe kidney damage with potential death, and immune system problems. R20-229, 239-42. Dr. Teitelbaum opined that the employees were in danger of death or serious bodily injury. R20-248. The evidence was sufficient for the jury to find that the defendants placed others in danger of death or serious bodily injury. 71