Earthrise
Green River Trial Final Stages- Earthrise Seeks Cleanup
February 07, 2017
Earthrise Attorneys Lia Comerford and Kevin Cassidy
Lia made her first trial appearance and was a natural.
Image of concrete dumping along the Green River. Image from Plaintiffs' exhibits.
Last week, Earthrise brought the Green River in Illinois one step closer to being restored after decades of concrete dumping along its banks by an adjacent landowner and owner of a demolition and trucking company. In federal court in Rock Island, Illinois, on behalf of Quad Cities Waterkeeper and Prairie Rivers Network, Earthrise attorneys Kevin Cassidy and Lia Comerford presented evidence about the harm the unauthorized concrete dumping has caused to their clients and the Green River, and urged federal judge Sara Darrow to order and oversee a comprehensive restoration plan.
Previously, Judge Darrow had found the Defendants liable under the Clean Water Act for their unpermitted dumping of concrete and other construction waste into the Green River. The remedy trial last week was the last phase of the case, which began in 2012. The trial took place over three days and the Court heard from 10 witnesses, including one expert from each side. Judge Darrow ordered the parties to file post-trial briefs, and Earthrise expects a decision from the Court later this spring.
Many Earthrise students have worked on this case over the years and deserve thanks, including: Kathryn Roberts, Ben Muzi, Liv Brumfield, Richard Fitzgerald, Scott Hilgenberg, Joanna Lau, Jake Duginski, Victor Reuther, Serena Liss, Joel Reschly, Andrew Bogle, YoungWoo Joh, Erin Thompson, Becca Fischer, Brian Buske, Maddie Allen, and Ben Swerdlow.
