nnadili vs. chevron

8/9/2019 Nnadili vs. Chevron

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NNADILI v. CHEVRON U.S.A., INC. NOS. CIV.A.02-1620 ESH, CIV.A.03-1593 ESH.

435 F.Supp.2d 93 (2006)Olachukwu NNADILI, et al., Plaintiffs, v. CHEVRON U.S.A. INC. Defen ant. !a"# A$ne#, et

al., Plaintiffs, v. Chev"%n U.S.A. Inc. Defen ant.Unit d St!t " #i"t$i%t C&u$t, #i"t$i%t &' C& u *i!.

+un 1, 2006. Ant &n F. in/, i% !$d E. ! !% , +$., Su"!n V!n ""! !t"&n, ! !% in/ !$$!$& $!n"&n,

C, !" in/t&n, #C, '&$ # ' nd!nt.MEMORANDUM OPINION

HUVELLE, District Judge.Plainti s in t!ese c"ns"lidated cases assert vari"us clai#s against C!evr"n U.S.A. Inc. $%C!evr"n%&'ased u("n t!e (resence " (etr"leu# !)dr"car'"ns in t!e s"il and gr"und*ater 'el"* certain (r"(ertiesin an area " +as!ingt"n, D.C. n"*n as Riggs Par . -!e) c"ntend t!at t!e c"nta#inati"n resulted r"#t!e disc!arge "r release " gas"line r"# a retail service stati"n "r#erl) "*ned and "(erated ') C!evr"nand see da#ages "r di#inuti"n in t!e value " t!eir (r"(erties and "r e#"ti"nal distress. -!e) als"see in unctive relie under t!e Res"urce C"nservati"n and Rec"ver) Act, /0 U.S.C. 1 2345 t " 7. $%RCRA%&.C!evr"n !as #"ved "r (artial su##ar) udg#ent *it! res(ect t" t!e "ll"*ing clai#s6 $5& e#"ti"naldistress da#ages7 $0& c"##"n la* strict lia'ilit)7 $8& statut"r) clai#s under t!e RCRA7 and $/& clai#s ')individuals *!"se (r"(erties are n"t situated "ver su'sur ace c"nta#inati"n. 9"r t!e reas"ns set "rt!'el"*, t!e C"urt *ill grant su##ar) udg#ent as t" t!e[435 F.Supp.2d 96]

clai#s "r strict lia'ilit) and "r vi"lati"n " t!e RCRA, 'ut *ill den) C!evr"n:s#"ti"n in all "t!er res(ects.BACKGROUNDPlainti s include a((r";i#atel) 5037 A*n -!ird A#ended C"#(laint $% A*n C"#(l.%& == ?>523.& Acc"rding t" (lainti s, r"#a((r";i#atel) 53in>interest, "*ned and "(erateda retail gas"line service stati"n at


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actual e;("sure t" (etr"leu# !)dr"car'"ns "r "t!er c"nta#inants. In additi"n,(lainti s *ill n"t atte#(t t" argue "r (r"ve t!at a valid scienti ic 'asis e;ists "r an) ("tential "r e;("sure.$Id. = 5.& In c"nnecti"n *it! t!is sti(ulati"n, (lainti s als" s"ug!t and *ere granted leave t" ile t!eir current a#ended c"#(laints, *!ic! d" n"t include clai#s "r (ers"nal in ur), *r"ng ul deat!, "r #edical

#"nit"ring. $ Id. = 0.& As a result, (lainti s are see ing 'ased "n clai#s " tres(ass, nuisance,negligence, and c"##"n la* strict lia'ilit) da#ages "nl) "r di#inuti"n in t!e value " t!eir (r"(ertiesand "r e#"ti"nal distress, as *ell as in unctive relie under t!e RCRA.On Dece#'er #"ving (art). Id. at 0/?>/@, 542 S.Ct. 0#"ving (art):s av"r. !nin/ ! , @58 9.0dat 50/5. %I t!e evidence is #erel) c"l"ra'le, "r is n"t signi icantl) (r"'ative, su##ar) udg#ent #a) 'egranted.% i* $t &** , /?? U.S. at 0/3>la* rules " t!e urisdicti"n in *!ic! t!e) sit.% Id ! E %. S %. C&., In%. 8. Int; Fid. In". C&., 5039.8d 5/8 , 5/@ $D.C.Cir.533?&. -!e District " C"lu#'ia !as ad"(ted t!e %su'stantial interest% a((r"ac! t"c!"ice " la* Buesti"ns. :$ %&!t H!n&8 $ F St$ t td. ;" ip 8. i* $t ut. In". C&., 22@ $D.C.533


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[435 F.Supp.2d 98]

@4@ A.0d ??2 , ??3 $D.C.0440&7 E"t$!d! 8. &t& !% E %. &> $ C&., /@@ A.0d585?.& -" t!e e;tent t!at District " C"lu#'ia case la* d"es n"t e;(ressl) address clai#s "r e#"ti"nal distress da#ages 'ased "n (r"(ert)da#age al"ne, !"*ever, C!evr"n urt!er asserts t!at t!e C"urt s!"uld l"" t" t!e la* " ar)land "r guidance. S C&n "%& Indu"., td. 8. C&n'&$ti Ei" , In%., 20? 9.0d 850 , 8552$D.C.Cir.53@4&7 it!= $ 8. !" . t$&. A$ !


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!ave n"t cited and t!e C"urt !as 'een una'le t" ind a District " C"lu#'ia decisi"n addressing t!eavaila'ilit) " e#"ti"nal distress da#ages in a tres(ass case, t!e decisi"n in !$= $ is instructive. In t!atcase, t!e C"urt " A((eals "r t!e District " C"lu#'ia, a((l)ing t!e esta'lis!ed rule regarding intenti"nalt"rts, c"ncluded t!at e#"ti"nal distress da#ages are availa'le in an acti"n "r c"nversi"n " (ers"nal(r"(ert). !$= $,


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"r #ental anguis! resulting r"# t!e disc!arge.% Ad! ",


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Unli e arc!et)(ical a'n"r#all) danger"us activities suc! as 'lasting, t!ere isn" evidence t" suggest %t!at t!e ris " see(age F r"# US-sG cann"t 'eeli#inated ') t!e e;ercise " reas"na'le care, "r t!at t!e !ar# t" 'eantici(ated r"# t!e undergr"und see(age " gas"line is

grave.:%Hud"&n,


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Again, ') c"ntrast, C!evr"n:s US-s, +!ile l"cated near') a residentialneig!'"r!""d, are n"t situated near an) s"urces " drin ing *ater and are inan area ("(ulated *it! c"##ercial enter(rises. As "t!er c"urts !ave "und,%US-s l"cated 'eneat! t!e gr"und " gas"line stati"ns in c"##ercial "nesare c"##"n(lace and are " great utilit) t" t!e c"##unit).% N!t; < . C&-&p.

A"";n, 8@ 9.Su((.0d at 3. Acc"rdingl), t!e C"urt *ill grant C!evr"n:s #"ti"n "r (artial su##ar) udge#ent *it! res(ect t" (lainti s:clai#s "r c"##"n la* strict lia'ilit) and enter udg#ent in av"r " C!evr"n "n C"unt One " t!e Nn!di i C"#(laint and C"unt v. " t!e A*n C"#(laint.V. Statut"r) Clai#s Under t!e RCRAPlainti s in t!e A*n case allege t*" clai#s under t!e RCRA. 3 In C"unt VII " t!e A*n C"#(laint,(lainti s assert a citi en suit under 1 23?0$a&$5&$A& t" c"#(el C!evr"n t" c"#(l) *it! uns(eci ied(r"visi"ns " t!e RCRA and t!e regulati"ns (r"#ulgated t!ereunder. In C"unt VIII, t!e) assert a citi ensuit under 1 23?0$a&$5&$K& t" c"#(el C!evr"n t" (er "r# certain re#edial #easures. Plainti s !ave,!"*ever, %*it!dra*FnG t!eir clai# "r in unctive relie under t!e RCRA% $Pl.:s O((:n at 84&, 'ecause t!eEPA, "n N"ve#'er 02, 0440, issued an Ad#inistrative Order, (ursuant t" 1 23?8 " t!e RCRA, reBuiringC!evr"n t" investigate and, i necessar), t" devel"( a re#edial a((r"ac! t" t!e c"nditi"ns t!at are t!e

su' ect " t!is litigati"n. $ S De .:s E;. 8 at III.& -!ere "re, 'ecause (lainti s !ave a'and"ned t!eseclai#s, t!e C"urt *ill grant C!evr"n:s #"ti"n "r (artial su##ar) udg#ent *it! res(ect t" C"unts VII andVIII " t!e A*n C"#(laint.VI. Clai#s " Individuals +!"se Pr"(erties D" N"t Overlie Su'sur ace C"nta#inati"n

Acc"rding t" C!evr"n, at least s"#e (lainti s "*n "r reside in !"#es t!at are n"t situated "ver t!esu'sur ace c"nta#inati"n at issue in t!is litigati"n. $De .:s 9acts = 58.& 9"r t!e (ur("ses " its #"ti"n,C!evr"n identi ies si; (lainti s *!" it c"ntends all int" t!is categ"r)6 $5& ar) and Eunice in"r, " @0@Je ers"n Street, N.E., +as!ingt"n, DC7 $0& Jac"' and l"ria Care), "r#erl) "


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%*ell>settled t!at "nl) ad#issi'le evidence #a) 'e c"nsidered ') t!e trial c"urt in ruling "n a #"ti"n "r su##ar) udg#ent.% &$t 8. E i i C&., /42 9.Su((.0d 5 , 55 $D.D.C. 044

nnadili vs. chevron

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