Adame v. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Inc.

District Court, S.D. California·Decided February 27, 2025·No. 3:24-cv-00297·Unknown

Opinion

MYRNA ADAME, et al., Lead Case No.: 24-cv-00297-AJB-VET Plaintiffs, Consolidated with: Case No. 24-cv-00306-AJB-VET v. Case No. 24-cv-00346-AJB-VET Case No. 24-cv-00350-AJB-VET NATIONAL STEEL AND SHIPBUILDING COMPANY, INC., ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS’ et al., MOTION TO REMAND Defendants. (Doc. No. 12)

Presently pending before the Court is Plaintiffs’ motion to remand. (Doc. No. 12.) Defendants National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, General Dynamics Corporation, Inc., General Dynamics NASSCO, and General Dynamics NASSCO Holding, LLC (collectively, “NASSCO”) and United Support Systems (“USSI”) (collectively, “Defendants”) filed an opposition (Doc. No. 15), to which Plaintiffs replied (Doc. No. 16). For the reasons set forth herein, the Court DENIES Plaintiffs’ motion to remand. Plaintiffs’ complaint arises from injuries caused by toxic smoke that emanated from a July 2020 fire on the United States Navy’s amphibious assault ship, the USS Bonhomme Richard (“BHR”). (Complaint (“Compl.”), Doc. No. 1-4, ¶¶ 1–2, 25–26.) The fire began on July 12, 2020, and continued until July 16, 2020. (Id. ¶ 15.) From the cargo area where the fire originated, flames spread quickly throughout the ship, raising temperatures to about 1,200 degrees and resulting in a series of explosions. (Id. ¶¶ 16, 18.) At the time of the fire, the ship was undergoing maintenance pier-side adjacent to Naval Base San Diego (the “Naval Base”) in San Diego, California. (Id. ¶ 15.) Both NASSCO and USSI were under contract with the Navy to service BHR at the time of the fire. (Doc. No. 15 at 8.)2 NASSCO provided general contractor services for the repair of BHR, while USSI was hired to provide the duties of the Contract Fire Service Officer (“CFSO”). (Doc. No. 12-1 at 9.) In the aftermath, the Navy investigated the fire aboard BHR and concluded that, while the cause of the fire was arson, the “magnitude and severity of the fire” was caused by “the handling and storage of materials coupled with the lack of coordination on the weekend of the fire, combined with a lack of mitigation or consideration for risk accumulation[.]” (U.S. NAVY, COMMAND INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRE ABOARD USS BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD-6) 12 JULY 2020, 5830 MEMO N00/156 (Apr. 5, 2021), Doc. No. 12-5, at 11, 259.) Plaintiffs, who are homeowners, renters, business owners, and other individuals in the San Diego area, allege their health and property were severely harmed by the BHR fire. (Compl. ¶ 2.) The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District found over a dozen harmful toxic substances in the air. (Id. ¶ 26.) Plaintiffs inhaled these substances over several days, causing severe eye, nose, throat, and lung damage, other upper respiratory conditions, and neurological symptoms, including but not limited to headaches, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, confusion, stress, nausea, and vomiting. (Id.) Plaintiffs allege Defendants’

1 This case results from the consolidation of four actions filed against Defendants: (1) the instant lead case Adame et al. v. Nat’l Steel and Shipbuilding Co. et al., 23-cv-00297-AJB-VET; (2) Garland et al. v. Nat’l Steel and Shipbuilding Co. et al., 24-cv-00306-AJB-VET; (3) Adame et al. v. Nat’l Steel and Shipbuilding Co. et al., 24-cv-00346-AJB-VET; and (4) Garland et al. v. Barrera et al., 24-cv-00350- AJB-VET. All references to filings are to those in the lead case. 2 Citations to the record refer to the electronic pagination of the CM/ECF system at the top of each negligent acts and omissions caused the fire and directly contributed to its uncontrolled spread across the ship. (Id. ¶ 15.) Each of the consolidated actions were originally filed in state court but removed to this Court. On March 25, 2024, Plaintiffs filed the instant motion to remand. (Doc. No. 12.) As courts of limited jurisdiction, federal courts may hear only those cases for which subject matter jurisdiction has been conferred either by Congress or by the Constitution. See Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994). Generally, removal of a civil action to federal court is proper only if the district court would have original jurisdiction over the matter at the time of removal. 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). District courts must construe the removal statutes strictly against removal and resolve any uncertainty as to removability in favor of remanding the case to state court. Boggs v. Lewis, 863 F.2d 662, 663 (9th Cir. 1988). The burden is on the removing party to demonstrate federal subject matter jurisdiction over the case. See Emrich v. Touche Ross & Co., 846 F.2d 1190, 1195 (9th Cir. 1988). Defendants removed the state civil action to this Court raising several bases for removal: (1) federal enclave jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a); (2) the Federal Officer Removal Statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1442; and (3) maritime jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). (Notice of Removal (“NOR”), Doc. No. 1, ¶ 13.) Plaintiffs challenge each of these theories of removal and move to remand. (Doc. No. 12.) A. Federal Enclave Jurisdiction 1. Parties’ Arguments As an initial matter, the parties agree that Naval Base San Diego is a federal enclave. (See Doc. Nos. 12-1 at 15; 15 at 10.) The Court concurs. See Carvajal v. Pride Indus., Inc., No. 10-CV-002319-GPC-MDD, 2013 WL 1728273, at *5 (S.D. Cal. Apr. 22, 2013) (“The Naval Base San Diego, formerly known as The Destroyer Base, became a federal enclave on February 23, 1922 pursuant to General Order No. 78 of the Navy Department and the State of California authorized the transfer of land.”). However, at issue here is whether BHR constituted a federal enclave while docked at Pier 2 of the Naval Base during the events in question. Plaintiffs assert federal enclave jurisdiction does not apply because their claims do not “arise” within a federal enclave. (Doc. No. 12-1 at 14–17.) First, as BHR was docked in navigable waters within three miles of the coast, Plaintiffs assert there is joint state and federal jurisdiction, thus precluding federal enclave jurisdiction. (Id. at 15–16.) Second, Plaintiffs argue their claims arise where the injury occurred—“within their San Diego residential neighborhoods”—not where Defendants’ actions occurred. (Id. at 16–17.) In opposition, Defendants respond that removal is proper based on federal enclave jurisdiction because Plaintiffs’ claims stem from conduct alleged to have taken place within a federal enclave, regardless of where the alleged injury occurred. (Doc. No. 15 at 10–12, 15–16.) Specifically, Defendants assert that BHR was docked within the boundaries of the Naval Base, thus making the ship itself a federal enclave. (Id. at 12–15.) To support this contention, Defendants provide a photograph depicting BHR docked at Pier 2 of the Naval Base and a map demonstrating that “326 acres of water,” including those waters surrounding Pier 2, are within the boundaries of the Naval Base. (Id. at 12–13; see also Exhibit A–B of this Order.) 2. Legal Standard “Federal courts have federal question jurisdiction over tort claims that arise on ‘federal enclaves.’” Durham v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 445 F.3d 1247, 1250 (9th Cir. 2006); see also 28 U.S.C. §

Adame v. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Inc., (S.D. Cal. 2025).

Adame v. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Inc. (Adame v. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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