December 10, 2025, Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

01/14/2026 10:36:25 AM Page 77 to 80 of 144 20 of 55 sheets 77 "There's a danger of destabilization if the joints are1 open and take in water." Isn't that what say in your2 report?3 I say in the report, if it fills a joint to a4 A. water levels of elevation 590 at the top of the slope5 and that pressure shows up at elevation 490 down below,6 that's a lot of pressure that would cause the soil to7 erode.8 And the soil erosion, the rock is experiencing9 Q. during high hydrostatic pressure, the rock could also10 break apart, can't it?11 It could, but probably, I don't know at that12 A. point. You know, it's different rock down below.13 I would like to ask you something. I want to go14 Q. back and clarify something from last week. You spoke15 about the core that was taken, if you recall, and you16 couldn't identify certain information from the core.17 Now, I'm turning to Page 14 of your report and what you18 said was, that you were unable to identify the section19 of core from which the samples were taken. I would like20 you to explain what you mean by, the section of core.21 What does that refer to?22 There are photographs in the Langan report, they23 A. photographed every -- I mean, the core box samples that24 they took. And they photographed the one for the25 78 location, the location that they took the test from.1 They took the test, according to the report, from a2 section of core that was near the top but I couldn't see3 for sure whether that, what was in the photo was what4 ended up in the text.5 Now, why does it matter whether it was from the6 Q. top or further down?7 I wanted to see what -- the material came up, as8 A. was recorded by both engineers, that the material came9 up with very low strength. I wanted to take a look at10 it to see if it looked unusual and the core didn't look11 unusual.12 So what's the point of saying, "We were unable to13 Q. identify where it came from."14 Well, I couldn't see something that looked weak,15 A. is what I meant.16 Well, it doesn't say that. You say, "We were17 Q. unable to identify the section of core from which the18 samples were taken." That doesn't say you couldn't see19 anything that was weak. That says, you couldn't --20 I couldn't.21 A. Hang on. That says, you couldn't confirm what22 Q. Langan was saying, doesn't it?23 I, I couldn't. I wanted to see the core section24 A. that came out and I couldn't identify

n't --20 I couldn't.21 A. Hang on. That says, you couldn't confirm what22 Q. Langan was saying, doesn't it?23 I, I couldn't. I wanted to see the core section24 A. that came out and I couldn't identify it.25 79 And you couldn't identify it, meaning that you1 Q. couldn't confirm their findings, isn't that correct?2 No, they have a report by a reputable laboratory3 A. and I believe it.4 So you believe them --5 Q. And the rock is, the rock that they sample is a6 A. very low strength. Nobody was trying to manufacture7 something that was better than it is.8 Okay. So it was very low strength to begin with.9 Q. Why did you want to see which part of the core sample it10 came from?11 I was curious.12 A. I know. Why were you curious? Why does it13 Q. matter to you.14 Because I look at rock a lot and I just wanted to15 A. see. It didn't leap out at me but I did not intend to16 mean anything nefarious in the report or anything like17 that, you know, anything suspicious about it or anything18 like that. It was just a statement. I could not pick19 the core length and had selected the core samples. But20 I had no -- sometimes we write too much and there's no21 reason that I had particularly -- a particular concern,22 but I wrote about it.23 Well, it's a little hard to tell from your report24 Q. which parts you think don't matter and which parts do.25 80 Because every time I ask you something that sounds1 negative you say, well, that part didn't matter. You2 see the problem there?3 No.4 A. Oh, okay.5 Q. Now, you say on Page 14, I touched on this last6 week also, that a "downward dip to the east is not in7 our experience a favorable inclination." And then you8 said, "favorable inclination would be downward toward9 the west." What do you mean when you say, favorable,10 why is that relevant?11 Because the, the -- because in order to fail the12 A. rock would have to push all the rock out from behind it.13 If there's no rock in front of it to the east then it's14 more likely to move -- it's possible to move in that15 direction.16 You just said it is more likely, then you said17 Q. it's possible. Which is it, is it more likely or is it18 more possible?19 It's possible.20 A. Thank you.21 Q. Now, basically what you're saying is if my arm on22 an angle here is sloped and my arm here is sort of a23 plateau near the ridge --24 Right.25 A.