United States v. Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corp.

112 F.R.D. 333
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 18, 1987
DocketNo. CIV-79-990C
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 112 F.R.D. 333 (United States v. Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corp., 112 F.R.D. 333 (W.D.N.Y. 1987).

Opinion

CURTIN, Chief Judge.

SUPPLEMENTAL ORDER NO. 5

This motion arises out of the United States’ attempt, pursuant to Rule 30 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to take the sworn deposition of Dr. Marvin Legator [Legator] on July 30, 1985.1 Occidental Chemical Corporation [OCC], formerly Hooker Chemical & Plastics Corporation [Hooker], has opposed this discovery request and has moved for a protective order pursuant to Rule 26(b)(4)(B) or, in the alternative, for an order deferring compliance with such discovery request until the United States complies with certain of OCC’s discovery requests. The United States opposes OCC’s motion. Rule 26(c) and (d).

The pertinent facts of this case are as follows. In early 1980, the United States commissioned Dr. Dante Picciano and his Biogenics Corporation to conduct a chromosome study of Love Canal area residents. Dr. Picciano submitted a report of his findings [the Picciano Study] to the United States on May 5, 1980.2 Approximately ten days later, James W. Moorman, counsel for the United States, informed OCC by letter of Dr. Picciano’s findings and demanded that OCC agree to finance a follow-up chromosome study and temporary relocation of certain Love Canal area residents (Item 273, Exh. 3). After the substance of the Picciano study became public, Donald L. Baeder, President of Hooker Chemical Company, responded to the United States’ letter (Item 273, Exh. 4). Baeder’s letter, dated May 17, 1980, said, in part, that:

Hooker is willing to cooperate with the EPA in addressing this issue, even though Love Canal has not been under our control for more than 27 years and we deny any legal liability. As a matter of fact, we have already started our own investigations and analysis using the best experts available. We will keep you advised of our progress in these investigations and look forward to your prompt reply.

Mr. Baeder also enclosed with his letter a copy of a Hooker press release, also dated May 17,1980, which elaborated on the company’s efforts in studying the Picciano findings:

Hooker’s own medical and environmental staff as well as outside consultants are leaving no stone unturned to obtain a reliable fact base on Love Canal. Mr. Baeder further stated, “we are prepared to make available our own staff as well as independent medical and genetic experts to work with the EPA to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”

Id.

Two days later, Toxicologist Dr. Marvin Legator, who had identified a “potential expert” by OCC on May 16, was retained by the company (Item 280, affidavit of Steven K. Yablonski [Yablonski Affidavit], If 5).3

Thereafter, on May 21, 1980, partially as a result of the anxiety precipitated in the Love Canal community by the publication of the Picciano Study, United States President Jimmy Carter issued the so-called “second emergency declaration,” authoriz[335]*335ing federal financing for what ultimately became the permanent relocation of hundreds of families from the Love Canal area.

In June and July of 1980, OCC counsel advised counsel for the United States that the company would not produce the Legator report regarding the Picciano Study because this document was protected as “attorney work product” (Item 273, Exh. 6) and “clearly exempt from discovery” (id. at Exh. 7). Following, in the July 26, 1980, edition of The Washington Post and July 27, 1980, edition of The Buffalo News, Dr. Legator was quoted as being of the opinion that the results of the Picciano Study “will stand up to any scrutiny” (id. at Exhs. 8 and 9). The same edition of the Post also reported Dr. Legator as saying that criticisms of Dr. Piciano’s techniques were “a lot of bunk.” According to the August, 1980, issue of Science, Dr. Legator “disputed” certain “technical criticisms” about the Picciano Study made by others (id. at 10). On September 30, 1980, The Niagara Falls Gazette quoted Dr. Legator as saying that he “would not at all discount [Pic-ciano’s] findings” (id. at Exh. 11).

Finally, in the spring of 1981, Dr. Legator spoke with Dr. Adeline Levine, Associate Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, who was then writing a book about the Love Canal. Dr. Levine’s book, entitled Love Canal: Science, Politics, and People, was published in 1982 and included a description of her conversations with Dr. Legator about the validity of the Picciano Study (id. at Exhs. 12-15).

OCC now contends that, pursuant to Rule 26(b)(4)(B) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the United States should not be allowed to depose Dr. Legator. It moves for a protective order on several grounds.

First, OCC argues that Dr. Legator was retained by the company in connection with the instant litigation. See Item 255, Affidavit of Anthony L. Young [Young Affidavit]. The company states that, because it does not intend to call Dr. Legator as a witness at trial, the discovery of facts known or opinions held by Dr. Legator is governed by the provisions of Rule 26(b)(4)(B) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 26(B)(4)(B) provides, in pertinent part, that:

[a] party may discover facts known or opinions held by an expert who has been retained or specifically employed by another party in anticipation of litigation or preparation for trial and who is not expected to be called as a witness at trial, only ... upon a showing of exceptional circumstances under which it is impracticable for the party seeking discovery to obtain facts or opinions on the same subject by other means.

Cf., Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. v. Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co., 60 F.R.D. 205, 210 (S.D.N.Y.1973).

OCC argues that the United States has failed to make the proper showing of “exceptional circumstances” here. See, e.g., Barnes v. City of Parkersburg, 100 F.R.D. 768, 769-70 (S.D.W.Va.1984). The company argues that, because the United States has already retained and/or consulted with at least nine experts concerning the Picci-ano study, it is not “impracticable” for the United States to obtain the information possessed by Dr. Legator by other means. See, e.g., Galella v. Onassis, 487 F.2d 986, 996 n. 13(h) (2d Cir.1973).

Alternatively, OCC argues that if this court believes that the Legator deposition and document discovery should not be barred pursuant to Rule 26(b)(4)(B), the company contends that such discovery should be deferred pending the United States’ response to OCC’s “Second Set of Interrogatories and Related Document Requests” because many of the interrogatories and document requests relate directly to the Picciano Study and President Carter’s emergency declaration. OCC says that the interests of fairness and justice require that the company be given an opportunity to obtain and review the requested documents before any examination of Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
112 F.R.D. 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-hooker-chemicals-plastics-corp-nywd-1987.