A federal district court ruled that methane migrating from a closed landfill to a residential development project constitutes an imminent and substantial endangerment under section 7002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in Marcas, L.L.C. v. Bd. of County Comm’rs,2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104380 (D.Md. 7/25/13). The court also followed an emerging trend and […]
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
We previously discussed the RCRA lawsuit filed by a bank that had foreclosed on a residential property that turned out to be impacted by contamination from an adjacent dry cleaner in Forest Park National Bank v Ditchfield. The bank had alleged that vapors migrating from the contaminated groundwater and soil constituted an imminent and substantial endangerment
Dry Cleaner Settles Foreclosing Lender RCRA Action Read More »
What started out as a toxic tort lawsuit has evolved into a precedent-setting case involving the Indiana Real Property Transfer Law (RPTL) with a potentially fascinating Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Practices Act (RICO) ruling waiting in the wings. The legal trade press focused much of its attention on the RCRA 7002 rulings handed down by
Ct Rules Indiana Real Property Transfer Law May Be Triggered By Historic Uses Read More »
A federal district court declined to dismiss a RCRA 7002 action brought by a foreclosing lender against the owner of an adjacent dry cleaner in Forest Park National Bank & Trust v Ditchfield, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103007(N.D. Ill. 7/24/12). The court also granted summary judgment on the bank’s CERCLA cost recovery claim. One reason
Foreclosing Lender RCRA Action May Proceed Read More »
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 »
It is no secret that distressed debt investors are eagerly looking for opportunities to purchase defaulted or underwater loans. One strategy used by investors with a healthy risk appetite is to purchase promissory notes secured by contaminated property at deeply discounted pricing. The investor then brings an RCRA 7002 action seeking an order requiring the
State Appeals Ct Affirms Note Purchaser Cannot Bring Nuisance Action For Contamination Read More »
Purchaser found contamination after closing and filed lawsuit under citizen suit provision of RCRA 7002 . Defendant brings counterclaim asserting that plaintiff is obstructing remediation by denying access. Court denies plaintiff motion to dismiss on grounds that its obstruction could be construed as active storage of wastes and allowing continued leaching of wastes. Therefore, plaintiff