In 1990, a municipality in Long Island installed a granulated activated carbon (“GAC”) adsorption system at a cost of $1.25MM to remove volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) that had been detected in two public drinking water wells. When the GAC proved ineffective in reducing the VOCs to the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), the municipality commenced construction […]
You Say “Removal”, I Say “Remedial” Read More »
State statutes of limitations (SOL) establish the time period when an injured party may bring a lawsuit seeking compensation for damages. In general, the SOL “clock” will start when a claim “accrues” (e.g. when all of the required elements of the cause of action have been satisfied. Because of the long latency period between exposure
CERCLA “Discovery Rule” Playing Important Role in Toxic Tort Cases Read More »
Many environmental lawyers, consultants and professional organizations were deeply disappointed when EPA bowed to pressure from other government agencies and severely weakened the definition of Environmental Professional (EP) in its “All Appropriate Inquires” (AAI) rule that was published on November 1, 2005. The EP definition in the proposed AAI rule included minimum levels of education
Time to Revisit AAI EP Definition? Read More »
We have previously discussed the series of district court rulings in Voggenthaler v Maryland Square LLC where homeowners and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) sued past and former owners of a shopping center and operators of a former dry cleaner because of a mile-long groundwater plume resulting from PCE spills from the dry cleaner
The brownfield reforms that swept the country in the 1990s created new tools for developers of contaminated sites to help minimize their liability. Some of the reforms like the CERCLA Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser (BFPP) liability protection are self-implementing while others such as prospective purchaser agreements, covenants not to sue or letters stating that the developer
Ct Says NJ Brownfield Agreement Not Enough to Establish Innocent Party Status Read More »
Back in October 2011, we discussed a failed $35MM development project where a bank sought damages from three environmental consultants for failing to anticipate methane gas problems at the development site. The plaintiff, BancorpSouth Bank, was a successor by merger to The Signature Bank that had financed the project. The project consisted of 150-acre site that
Ct Allows CERCLA Claim Agst Bank To Proceed In Methane Case Read More »
The twin rulings in Westwood Dev. Partners, LLC v. Draper, 2012 Del. Super. LEXIS 161, 2012 Del. Super. LEXIS 162 (Del. Super. Ct., Mar. 29, 2012) eluded our radar screen last year due to the end of the year crush of deals. While these rulings are admittedly a bit stale, we are sharing them since they provide
Parties Must Proceed To Trial on Meaning of “Satisfactory Phase 1” Contingency Read More »
Last year, we criticized the ruling in Stratford Holdings LLC v Fog Cap Retail Investors LLC where the district court for the southern district court of Georgia appeared to conflate reporting obligation of section 103 of CERCLA with the cost recovery and contribution provisions of CERCLA when the court granted a motion to dismiss by the defendant
4th Circuit Allows Landlord Cost Recovery To Proceed Read More »
ORIX Capital Markets, LLC v. Cadlerocks Centennial Drive LLC, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6081 (D. Mass. 1/15/13) involved a relatively small commercial loan but offers lots of lessons for borrowers, their counsel and environmental consultants. In this case, Salomon Brothers Realty Corp. (Solomon) extended a ten-year loan in the amount of $1.925MM to Cadlerocks Centennial
CMBS Special Servicer May Pursue Guarantor Despite Environmental Policy Read More »
The United States Court of Appeals finally issued its much anticipated ruling in PCS Nitrogen v Ashley II of Charleston, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 6815 (4th Cir. 4/4/13) last week. However, the wait turned out to be much ado about nothing. The court affirmed the district court rulings but did not clarify perhaps the most
Fourth Circuit Affirms Ashley Rulings Read More »