Oil Re-Refining Co. v. Pacific Recycling, Inc.
A district court dismissed a property owner's CERCLA claim for costs incurred responding to PCB contamination allegedly caused by an oil recycling company. The owner alleged that the company spilled PCBs on the site. But the $800,000 in costs purportedly incurred are not related to the alleged r...
Asarco LLC v. Shore Terminals LLC
A district court dismissed a property owner's contribution action against a railroad company for failure to state a claim. The property owner failed to allege any facts that explain why the company is liable for a portion of the site cleanup. It failed to explain how the company came to be invol...
New York v. Solvent Chemical Co.
The Second Circuit held that a lower court should have granted a chemical manufacturer's request for declaratory judgment against adjoining property owners under CERCLA for future costs it will incur cleaning up industrial pollution. The manufacturer sued the two adjoining property owners for c...
Pakootas v. Teck Cominco Metals Ltd.
A district court held that the state of Washington is not liable as an arranger under CERCLA for hazardous waste contamination stemming from mining operations on state lands. The state entered into mining contracts with a Canadian mining company that allowed the company to excavate and remove metal-...
Sweet Lake Land & Oil Co. v. Exxon Mobil Corp.
A district court held that an oil company is liable for property damages caused by its predecessor-in-interest who conducted oil and gas exploration and production activities on the site under three subleases. Article 128 of the Louisiana Mineral Code provides that a sublessee acquires the rights an...