The recent decision in Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur v. Mrs. Owen J. Garnett-Murray, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78747 (N.D. Cal. 6/6/12) is the latest example of how vapor intrusion has become a game changer for toxic tort and RCRA litigation. Vapor intrusion was the only potential exposure pathway since groundwater was not used
District Ct Holds Vapor Intrusion Is Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Read More »
We have been periodically posting updates on the progress of the landmark Voggenthaler v Maryland Square, LLC vapor intrusion case from Las Vegas, Nevada. In the most recent ruling, the court granted the motion for summary judgment filed by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) seeking cost recovery under CERCLA. 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
Ct Grants Summary Judgment in Maryland Square Vapor Intrusion Case Read More »
A California state court dismissed a negligence claim brought against an environmental consultant by residents of the infamous Ujima Village low income housing complex for failing to identify health risks associated with a former oil storage facility. The 300-unit Ujima Village complex had been constructed on a portion of the former 122-acre Athens Tank Farm
Consultant Not Liable to Residents of Housing Complex For Not Identifying Vapor Risks Read More »
Since vapor intrusion started to come into focus a decade ago, environmental consultants have been debating if vapor intrusion was covered by the standard phase 1 or needed to be specifically added to the phase 1 scope of work. This is not an academic discussion but a real concern to property owners and lenders who are
1993 EPA Memo Clarified CERCLA Jurisdiction For Indoor Contamination Read More »
In what may be one of the more important common law pollution cases of the past few years, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that property owners may proceed with lawsuit alleging damages from contamination that has migrated from a railyard that had operated by Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company and its predecessors from
Montana Supreme Ct Allows Lawsuit To Proceed For 25 Year Old Plume 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 »
In a recent ASTM conference call, several consultants took the position that they could not envision a circumstances under which a “vapor encroachment condition” (VEC) identified pursuant to ASTM E2600-10 would not be a “recognized environmental condition” (REC) pursuant to ASTM E1527-05. I was surprised by this statement and therefore have decided to post about
Should a Vapor Encroachment Condition (VEC) Always Be a REC? Read More »
