Environmental developments may bring on new lawsuits
As technology evolves, industry standards change to keep up with new engineering creations and the opportunities afforded by these developments. In addition, many organizations and individuals may encounter lawsuits due to this innovation as well.
For example, in Oregon, the United States Supreme Court is about to take a deeper examination into the type of water runoff that's been prevalent on logging roads in the state's dense forests, according to the Associated Press. For the past 30 years, the government has considered this type of muddy water as akin to runoff from a farm field, but the Northwest Environmental Defense Center sued the Oregon Department of Forestry over logging roads that drain into salmon streams, alleging that it becomes a source of pollution.
The case has made it to the Supreme Court, where the Environmental Protection Agency will take another look at whether to consider this byproduct as legally similar to the type that comes out of pipes at a factory.
In addition, the rise in natural gas has caused a unique housing boom in Wisconsin and neighboring Minnesota. In order for natural gas companies to break the shale deposits that house this form of energy, they must first fracture it. This process is called "fracking" and involves using a pipe to blast sand and chemical-laced water at the shale, breaking it down and releasing the gas.
Due to this, many companies are beginning to buy up tracts of land from farmers in "Sand Country" across Wisconsin and Minnesota to acquire the resources that are needed to perform this type of mining. According to the Minnesota Star-Tribune, many of these farmers are seeing dramatic increases in property value and income.
With many Wisconsin residents finding themselves on land they once found unprofitable, but now worth much more than originally thought, there may be issues with contracts, land disputes and resulting lawsuits. Should landowners and natural gas companies find themselves in the midst of a lawsuit, partnering with Wisconsin court reporters can allow them to acquire accurate deposition transcripts.
Furthermore, these professionals can offer video deposition services to clients, which can be very useful should travel expenses and logistics hinder the ability for any parties to be present during depositions or hearings. This technology allows them to tune in from nearly anywhere.
