CERCLA/Superfund

Wartime Regulation Does Not Render Government an Operator Under CERCLA, Third Circuit Rules

On May 4, 2020, the Third Circuit issued a decision in PPG Industries v. United States, a case which considered whether the government’s involvement at a chromium processing plant during World War II made it an “operator” liable for cleanup costs under Section 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”).  The…

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U.S. Supreme Court’s Latest CERCLA Decision Could Mean a Tangle for Future Litigation

On April 20th, 2020, the United States Supreme Court held in Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian that the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) does not prevent state courts from hearing state law claims by landowners seeking property damages and additional environmental remediation at federal Superfund sites beyond an EPA-approved remedy. Complicating this…

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EPA Announces “Action Plan” for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

On February 14th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced its PFAS Action Plan to better understand PFAS chemicals and the extent of existing contamination, prevent future contamination, and more effectively communicate with the public regarding PFAS and associated health and environmental risks. PFAS, a group of chemicals created in the 1940s, exist in a…

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SPR Defeats Appeal of Superfund Liability Claims Based on Veil-Piercing, Lease/Sublease of Contaminated Property

By: Ed Roggenkamp SPR attorneys successfully defended the appeal of their summary judgment victories for the defendants in Next Millennium Realty, LLC v. Adchem Corp. (16-1260-cv) in the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The May 11, 2017 order dismissing the appeal upheld three successive summary judgment decisions by the District Court. These decisions…

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