United States v. Land O'Lakes, Inc.
A district court held that a food company is not shielded from CERCLA liability by a settlement reached under RCRA related to the same site. EPA brought suit against the food company, a successor to the company that operated the site until 1982, for response costs the Agency occurred or would incur ...
Oil Re-Refining Co. v. Envtl. Quality Comm'n
The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that a company that ran a waste treatment and disposal facility was liable for transporting hazardous waste without the proper manifest forms. The company contracted to transport waste from a polymer manufacturer's factory to its treatment facility. The company had pre...
Garrett Day LLC v. Int'l Paper Co.
A district court permitted a contribution suit under CERCLA against a paper company to proceed in a case involving a site in Dayton, Ohio. The site was allegedly contaminated with numerous hazardous chemicals that were used in the paper-making process over the course of 100 years. A commercial prope...
NRDC v. McCarthy
A district court denied EPA's motion to dismiss a claim by environmental groups that the Agency must review California's emergency waiver of federal water quality standards. In the wake of an historic drought, California's governor issued a Drought Emergency Proclamation and directed the State Water...
Mao v. PIERS Envtl. Servs., Inc.
A California appellate court held that an environmental consultant hired by a lender had no duty to a prospective buyer of contaminated property. The buyer filed a negligence claim against the consultant group for an EA it performed in 2000 for her lender prior to her purchase of the property. The E...
Catskill Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited v. EPA
The Second Circuit overturned a district court ruling that a 2008 EPA rule exempting water transfers from NPDES permitting requirements was contrary to the requirements established by the CWA. Several environmental groups brought suit against the Agency, arguing that water transfers can&nb...