A district court held that a mining company that operates a smelter in Canada is liable as an arranger under CERCLA for the release and threatened release of hazardous substances in the Upper Columbia River. The company stipulated that it discharged slag and effluent into the Columbia River from its...

A California appellate court affirmed a lower court decision denying a municipal water district's petition challenging a water replenishment district's "water emergency" declaration for California's Central Basin. The water district argued that the replenishment district failed to comply with the Ca...

A district court held that a refinery that settled in bankruptcy court its liability for response costs incurred at a Superfund site may seek contribution from a mining company. The mining company argued that the settlement agreement for which the refinery seeks contribution only resolves the refine...

A district court upheld a Nevada water engineer ruling allowing a city to change the manner and place of use of surface water rights. A Native American tribe filed a petition challenging the decision, arguing that the ruling was against the public interest because the groundwater underlying the city...

A California appellate court affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower court decision approving an agreement between landowners, the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District, and local cities and water companies in a water rights dispute over the groundwater contained in the Santa Maria Va...

A bankruptcy court denied a company's motion to dismiss a bankruptcy trustee's CERCLA §107 claim against it for response costs incurred by the debtor to EPA, New York, and a manufacturer as a result of the debtor's settlement of their CERCLA claims. The company argued that the trustee cannot recove...