Chemical Fingerprinting in the Legal and Policy Perspectives. Valerie A. Lee, Environment International, Inc., 10334 48th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125
This presentation will explore the use of chemical fingerprinting in legal proceedings and policy analysis and the presentation of technical information in a legal context. Among the specific topics to be addressed are how chemical fingerprinting is applied by attorneys in a court proceeding and how scientists can most effectively present what is often complicated technical information in a clear manner that is understandable to policy makers, judges, lawyers, and juries. Presentation of such scientific information in a legal proceeding is difficult because those receiving the information most often lack extensive backgrounds in the sciences. The discussion will provide insights on the use of chemical fingerprinting in legal proceedings and practical suggestions for overcoming difficulties associated with the presentation of scientific information in a legal context. Case examples will be used to demonstrate the application of technical information in legal proceedings involving natural resource damage assessment following oil spills and enforcement actions against responsible parties. These examples will illustrate the use of chemical fingerprinting to help identify the responsibility of parties and narrow the focus of remediation efforts.