Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc.

812 F. Supp. 1498, 23 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 21061, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20669, 1992 WL 424046
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedNovember 5, 1992
Docket89-C-834
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 812 F. Supp. 1498 (Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc., 812 F. Supp. 1498, 23 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 21061, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20669, 1992 WL 424046 (E.D. Wis. 1992).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

WARREN, Senior District Judge.

This lawsuit concerns the investigation and potential cleanup of a former landfill in Franklin, Wisconsin (the “Site”), which the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has listed on the National Priorities List (“NPL”) established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), 42 U.S.C. § 9601, et seq. Plaintiff, Acme Printing Ink Company (“Acme”), is one of a number of companies and persons who may have generated waste that has been disposed of at the Site.

Pursuant to CERCLA § 122(a) and (d)(3), 42 U.S.C. § 9622(a) and (d)(3), Acme entered into an Administrative Order by Consent (the “Consent Order”) with the EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”). Pursuant to the Consent Order, Acme agreed to conduct a Remedial Investigation (“RI”) to determine to what extent any hazardous substances have been released at the Site and a Feasibility Study (“FS” and, together with the RI, a “RI/FS”) to evaluate alternatives for any removal or cleanup that may be necessary.

*1504 Acme brought this action against Me-nard, Inc. (“Menard”), the current owner of the Site, and numerous other defendants whom Acme believes share responsibility for any hazardous conditions at the Site. Now before this Court is: (1) defendant Cambridge Chemical, Inc., et al.’s (the “Cambridge defendants”) Motion to Dismiss; (2) Texaco’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment; (3) Wausau’s Motion to Dismiss; (4) Reliance’s Motion to Dismiss Counterclaims; (5) Acme’s Motion to Strike Pleadings and for Default Judgment for Failure to Answer Interrogatories; and (6) Acme's Motion to Strike and Exclude the Prior Deposition Testimony of Edward Fadrowski. 1

I. CAMBRIDGE DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

A. Background

1. Facts alleged in Acme’s Complaint

From approximately 1970 until 1983, Edward J. Fadrowski, owner of Ed’s Trucking, owned the property on which the Site is located. During this period, hazardous waste and solid waste containing hazardous constituents, pollutants and contaminants were disposed of at the Site.

In 1983, Menard purchased the property on which the Site is located with knowledge that the property had previously been used for waste disposal. As part of the purchase contract, Menard agreed to allow Mr. Fadrowski to continue to use the Site for waste disposal. Beginning in 1983 and continuing for an undetermined period thereafter, Menard excavated areas of the Site in connection with the construction of a Me-nard Cashway Lumber Store on the property adjacent to the Site. During the excavation, Menard exposed hazardous waste which had been buried at the Site and generated additional hazardous waste by mixing and commingling hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Menard’s excavation of the Site caused the release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants from the previously disposed hazardous and solid waste. Me-nard then illegally disposed of the additional quantities of hazardous waste and waste containing hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants generated during the excavation of the Site. Menard reburied and/or abandoned the waste without a permit or license from the DNR or the EPA.

A sampling analysis by the DNR during Menard’s excavation of the Site identified the presence and release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants within the meaning of CERCLA §§ 101(14) and (33), 42 U.S.C. § 9601(14) and (33). The release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants in the Site created an imminent and substantial threat to human health and/or the environment.

Based on the results of the EPA and DNR investigations, the Site was nominated for and placed on the NPL in May 1986, pursuant to CERCLA § 105, 42 U.S.C. § 9605. In placing the Site on the NPL, the EPA took into account such factors as the population at risk, the threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants at the Site, the possible contamination of drinking water supplies and the destruction of sensitive ecosystems.

In May 1987, EPA and DNR entered into the Consent Order with Acme. Pursuant to the Consent Order, Acme agreed to conduct: (1) a RI in accordance with the terms of the National Contingency Plan (“NCP”), to determine fully the nature and extent of the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants from the Site; and (2) a FS in accordance with the NCP to identify and evaluate alternative forms of appropriate remedial action to prevent or mitigate the migration of the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants at the Site. The estimated cost of the RI/FS plus other reimbursable Site costs incurred by EPA and DNR exceeds $600,000.00.

2. Acme’s claims for relief

In Acme’s Complaint, plaintiff alleges ten (10) claims for relief. However, the *1505 Cambridge defendants have moved to dismiss only plaintiffs first two claims. Accordingly, the Court will set forth only Claims I and II of plaintiffs Complaint.

In Acme’s first claim for relief, it asserts that pursuant to § 7002(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”), 42 U.S.C. § 6972(a), it is entitled to: (1) an order declaring the principal defendants liable for their past handling of hazardous waste and solid waste containing hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants at the Site and (2) a judgment enjoining them to take such action as may be appropriate to rectify their past mishandling, transportation or disposal of waste at the Site and/or such violations of RCRA, Sub-chapter III, as were admitted by them. Acme notes that the transportation and disposal of hazardous waste without a permit constitutes a violation of RCRA, Sub-chapter III, as well as the provisions of the Wisconsin Hazardous Waste Management Plan approved pursuant to RCRA. In addition, plaintiff states that pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 6972(a)(1)(A) and 42 U.S.C. § 6928(a) and (g), Ed’s Trucking, Mr. Fa-drowski, Marcia Smith, Anthony Ivancich, Menard and such other of the principal defendants that contracted for or actively transported or disposed of hazardous waste without a permit are liable for civil penalties. These penalties may be up to $25,000 for each violation of RCRA, Subchapter III, committed by them for each day that each violation has continued.

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812 F. Supp. 1498, 23 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 21061, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20669, 1992 WL 424046, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/acme-printing-ink-co-v-menard-inc-wied-1992.