ELR Citation: ELR 20372
No(s). 81 C 1353 (N.D. Ill. Oct 26, 1981)

The court holds that the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) preempts plaintiff's state-law claims against out-of-state defendants for the discharge of pollutants into Lake Michigan. Initially, the court rules that under City of Milwaukee v. Illinois (Milwaukee II),11 ELR 20406, plaintiff's claims under the federal common law of nuisance are superseded by the FWPCA and therefore must be dismissed. Next, the court dismisses plaintiff's state-law claims against the out-of-state dischargers. Although Milwaukee II does not compel such a ruling, the court notes that prior case law dictates that federal common law preempts state statutory and common law as to interstate polluters. The court concludes that, in light of the interest in uniformity of interstate pollution regulation, such state-law claims must also be preempted by the FWPCA.

Counsel for Plaintiff
Joseph A. Power
Law Dep't
Chicago Park Dist., 425 E. McFetridge Dr., Chicago IL 60605
(312) 294-4517

Counsel for Defendants
John L. Conlon, Jeremiah Marsh, Michael Schneiderman, David O. Toolan
Hopkins & Sutter
3 First Nat'l Plaza, Chicago IL 60602
(312) 558-6600

Robert H. Joyce
Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson
Mid-Continental Plaza, 55 E. Monroe St., Chicago IL 60603
(312) 346-8000

Melvin H. Kurtz, Ass't General Counsel
Lever Bros. Co., 390 Park Ave., New York NY 10022
(212) 688-6000