Environmental Agencies, Superfund Cleanups, and Managing Enforcement Actions
Prior to April 2020, it seemed clear under prevailing federal case law that a disgruntled person could not use a state court lawsuit to change an environmental remedy approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...more
Landowners seeking restoration damages in state courts, at sites where there is a cleanup remedy previously selected by EPA, may pursue such claims only if they first obtain EPA approval for the proposed restoration work....more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced a landmark decision under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Act), also known as the Superfund program. In the case of Atlantic...more
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian (Slip Op. No. 17-1498) confirmed the broad statutory definition of "Potentially Responsible Party" (PRP) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,...more
In Atlantic Richfield Company v. Christian, a decision issued on April 20, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that state courts may hear state common law claims seeking to compel remediation beyond what the U.S....more
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) does not preclude Montana residents from bringing state common law claims to recover the...more
The United States Supreme Court recently decided a case that will create considerable uncertainty for companies involved with cleanups under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA,...more
On April 20, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-anticipated opinion in Atlantic Richfield Company v. Christian (No. 17-1498), holding that landowners whose properties are contaminated by neighboring Superfund sites...more
The Situation: The U.S. Supreme Court recently considered, in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian, whether the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Recovery Act ("CERCLA") deprives Montana state courts of...more
Notwithstanding that the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (more commonly known as “Superfund”) has been around for 40 years, and the fact that numerous cases have made their way to the...more
The U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the long-simmering debate about the rights of residential homeowners affected by Superfund response actions, ruling that they are indeed bound by the federal statute’s ban against...more
The U.S. Supreme Court has a history of rendering muddled decisions when interpreting key environmental statutes, and with its decision in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian et al., history repeats itself....more
In Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian, the United States Supreme Court recently held that a state court had jurisdiction over landowners’ state common law claims against Atlantic Richfield Company related to the Anaconda...more
Summary - Private landowners at a federal Superfund site cannot use state law claims to require additional remediation without advance EPA approval, based on a limitation in the Comprehensive Environmental Response,...more
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a near unanimous decision in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian which involves a group of landowners’ attempt to fashion their own clean-up remedies under state law at a...more
The United States Supreme Court (“SCT”) addressed in an April 20th Opinion two issues arising under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA or Superfund”) that include...more
On April 20, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian holding that CERCLA does not strip state courts of jurisdiction to hear state-law claims brought by landowners seeking remediation of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Consider this hypothetical. Acme Company’s historic operations has contaminated its property and those of its adjacent neighbors. Acme is undertaking a CERCLA remedy under the oversight of U.S. EPA which...more