Opinion ID: 3050124
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: As stated above, Counts II-IV of the superseding indictment allege violations of 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(5)(A), the Clean Air Act’s knowing endangerment provision, which creates criminal penalties for a person who “knowingly releases into the ambient air any hazardous air pollutant listed pursuant to section 7412 of this title . . . and who knows at the time that he thereby places another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.” Defendants filed motions in limine seeking to exclude evidence related to, or 5 A perusal of the table of contents for 40 C.F.R. § 61 shows that most hazardous pollutants do in fact have a single emissions standard, enumerated in a single code section. See, e.g., §§ 61.22, 61.32, 61.42, 61.52. Asbestos, however, does not. See §§ 61.142-.151. 12692 UNITED STATES v. W. R. GRACE testimony based on, certain studies — EPA indoor air studies (“Indoor Air studies”), Grace’s historic testing of its vermiculite products (“Historic Testing”), a report of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry based on a medical screening study of residents of Libby, Montana (“ATSDR Report”), and the results of the screening study published as an article in a peer-reviewed journal (“Peipins Publication”). Ruling that these studies were unreliable, irrelevant, or unduly prejudicial, the district court barred government experts from relying on them in forming opinions regarding the knowing endangerment charges, and, as to the indoor air studies, the ATSDR Report, and the Peipins Publication, excluding the studies, report, and publication themselves for most or all purposes. Order, United States v. W. R. Grace, 9:05-cr-00007DWM (Aug. 21, 2006) (“Indoor Air Order”); Order, United States v. W. R. Grace, 9:05-cr-00007-DWM (Aug. 28, 2006) (“Historical Testing Order”); Order, United States v. W. R. Grace, 9:05-cr-00007-DWM (Aug. 31, 2006) (“ATSDR and Peipins Order”). The government appeals.