Assignment: The Slippery Slope

Assignment: The Slippery Slope

Assignment: The Slippery Slope

CASE STUDY

Read the following case study, about the Slippery Slope of Litigating Geologic Hazards at California’s Portuguese Bend. The case study is broken into three parts. After each part, you will answer a few questions related to the reading. Submit a MS Word document or *.pdf file with your responses for each question to the assignment dropbox. All answers should be in your own words (do not copy and paste definitions). Answer each question in at least three complete sentences (upwards of 36-42 words per answer); some answers may require more explanation than others. There ten (10) questions, each question is worth 4 points. You will be deducted points for short and incomplete answers.

PART I. NEWS ARTICLE

Homeowners Allege Negligence (AP) Homeowners in the exclusive Portuguese Bend neighborhood near Long Beach, CA have filed a class action suit in state court against the County of Los Angeles. This suit seeks compensation for damages to 160 homes affected by a landslide encompassing an area of roughly 270 acres. The homeowners allege that this landslide was caused by road construction along Crenshaw Boulevard, a county highway that traverses the northern portion of the slide area. The lawsuit also alleges fraud and negligence on the part of the developers for participating with the county in road construction in a geologically unstable area.

Portuguese Point, most recent times; during sunset. Lizzie McVeigh, (2007), photograph, Source.

Questions

1. What is the essence of this article?
2. What is the scientific basis for the homeowners’ suit?
3. What information is required to evaluate the scientific basis of this lawsuit?