[CPEO-BIF] BNA Article on Cost Recovery Claim under CERCLA for Volunteer PRPs after Cooper v. Aviall

["Trilling, Barry" <BTrilling@wiggin.com>]

Title: Message

I have enclosed a PDF copy of the article, "A CERCLA Cause of Action for Voluntary PRPs After Cooper v. Availl," published in the June 2, 2006 BNA Environmental Reporter, I wrote with my associates Sharon Siegel and Rob Heulin. (See "reproduction" note below.) (You may receive more than one copy of this e-mail; if so I apologize for the inconvenience)

 

The article discusses the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Aviall, 543 U.S. 157 (2004), in which the court ruled that a potentially responsible party (PRP) may not sue another PRP for contribution under CERCLA Section 113 unless it first has been subject to a  civil action brought under CERCLA Sections 106 or 107.  This decision left in doubt the ability of volunteer PRPs to recoup expenses for their "good deeds" and left unpunished the PRPs who abdicated their cleanup responsibilities.  In the article we argue that CERCLA Section 107(a) provides a cost recovery action against other PRPs for those PRPs who voluntarily clean up contaminated sites.  The action we describe would entitle these volunteer PRPs to recover all amounts they expended for cleanup beyond their own pro-rata shares.    It differs from the Section 107(a) action available to the government or "innocent" parties by starting with the premise that the plaintiff cannot recover the amount for which it has responsibility.  Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. 

 

(Reproduced with permission from Environment Reporter, Vol. 37, No. 22 (June 2, 2006). Copyright 2006 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com ) 

Barry
Barry J. Trilling

Wiggin and Dana LLP

 

400 Atlantic Street

P.O. Box 110325

Stamford, Connecticut 06911-0325

Tel:  203 363-7670

Fax:  203 363-7676

 

450 Lexington Avenue

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Tel: 212 490-1700

Fax: 212 490-0536

 

Quaker Park

1001 Hector Street, Suite 240

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Tel: 610 834-2400

Fax: 610 834-3055

 

Cell:  203 556-3764

e-mail:  btrilling@wiggin.com

website:  www.wigginENVIRONMENTAL.com

 

Barry
Barry J. Trilling

Wiggin and Dana LLP

 

400 Atlantic Street

P.O. Box 110325

Stamford, Connecticut 06911-0325

Tel:  203 363-7670

Fax:  203 363-7676

 

450 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212 490-1700

Fax: 212 490-0536

 

Quaker Park

1001 Hector Street, Suite 240

Conshohocken, PA 19428-2395

Tel: 610 834-2400

Fax: 610 834-3055

 

Cell:  203 556-3764

e-mail:  btrilling@wiggin.com

website:  www.wigginENVIRONMENTAL.com

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