Groundwater at many commercial properties in Long island and suburban areas of New York has been contaminated from discharges to dry wells, leaching pools and septic systems. In the 1980s, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) frequently used consent orders issued pursuant to Title 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law which prohibits […]
The Third Party defense (42 U.S.C. 9607(b)(3) is probably the most important CERCLA defense. To assert the defense, a defendant must satisfy the following four elements or prongs: The release was solely caused by a third party; The defendant had no direct or indirect “contractual relationship” with the third party (“contractual relationship” prong); The defendant
Review of Recent CERCLA Third Party Defense “Due Care” Caselaw-Part 1 Read More »
One of the underpinnings of corporate law is that a purchaser of assets is not normally liable for the liabilities of the predecessor while a stock purchaser will take on the pre-existing liabilities. Courts have fashioned four exceptions to the no liability for asset purchaser rule. The exceptions are: express or implied assumption of liability
Ct Rules Existence of Seller Not Relevant For Successor Liability Read More »
A federal district court ruled that a Maryland county government was liable to a developer for damages resulting from the migration of landfill gas from a closed landfill to a planned development community. The court held that developer was entitled to recover response costs under CERCLA and that the subsurface migration of methane gas and VOCs
County Liable to Developer for Migration of Landfill Gas Read More »