Walking By Day

by Donald C. Hutchins

Walking By Day is one man's account of how the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and the various State laws that followed have contributed to the ruin of many small businesses across America-and will continue to do so until radical changes are implemented. Hutchins' personal tale takes the reader through the process of what began as a genuine attempt to clean up the environment and has turned instead into a minefield of bureaucracy, litigation and a culture of blame. Hutchins walks readers through his own nightmare as he was forced to watch CERCLA hold his family business captive for more than nine years, bringing a growing, prosperous manufacturing firm to the brink of insolvency and a fight for survival.

Rather than recite endless lists of statutes, bills and rulings full of legal and scientific jargon, Hutchins employs the unique tool of a dream-or more appropriately, nightmare-through which to tell his compelling tale. Calling on the Classical tradition of the muse, Hutchins' Greek and Roman gods help him relate his inspired story in a way that is of interest to anyone who believes in the concept of the American Dream and the rights that the Constitution upholds.

As readers embark on an informative walk through these pages, they'll discover how CERCLA has done far more to contribute to the coffers of the legal and lobbying professions than stamp out any of the environmental hazards it was originally designed to confront.

327 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1998