Alliance v. Rainier Petroleum Corp.

138 F. Supp. 3d 1170, 81 ERC (BNA) 1996, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135709, 2015 WL 5794274
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedOctober 5, 2015
DocketCase No. C14-831RSM
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 138 F. Supp. 3d 1170 (Alliance v. Rainier Petroleum Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alliance v. Rainier Petroleum Corp., 138 F. Supp. 3d 1170, 81 ERC (BNA) 1996, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135709, 2015 WL 5794274 (W.D. Wash. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

RICARDO S. MARTINEZ, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiff Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (“Soundkeeper”)’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Dkt. # 15. Soundkeeper argues that Defendant Rainier Petroleum Corporation (“Rainier”) has violated the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) by violating certain terms and conditions of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) General Permits. Specifically, Soundkeeper accuses Rainier of exceeding benchmarks for zinc and copper in the stormwater discharge at its Facility in Seattle, failing to submit annual reports for 2013 and 2014, failing to monitor discharges from the Facility in seventeen quarters from the past six years, failing to monitor discharge from three of the four discharge points at its Facility, failing to conduct and document monthly inspections for permit compliance, failing to complete Level 1 Corrective Action when required, contributing to violations of water-quality standards in the Duwamish Waterway, and having several deficiencies in its Stormwa-ter Pollution Prevention Plan (“SWPPP”). See id. Rainier opposes this motion in part, arguing'that the facts, taken in a light most favorable to Rainier as the non-moving party, do not support summary judgment. Dkt. # 23. Rainier does, however, concede liability as to certain issues. See id. Soundkeeper’s Motion is partial in nature; Plaintiff deliberately omits certain claims and the determination of any remedy. See Dkt. # 15 at 2.1 Having reviewed the parties’ briefing, and having determined that oral argument is not necessary, the Court agrees with Plaintiff in part, and GRANTS IN PART their Motion as detailed below.

II. BACKGROUND

A. The Rainier Facility

Rainier operates a 1.53-acre marine fueling, service, and storage facility located on Colorado Avenue and South Spokane Street in Seattle, Washington (the “Facility”). Dkt. # 4 at 2, Dkt. # 9-1 at 1. At the Facility, Rainier “engagefs] in industrial activity, including storage and distribution of lubricating oil.” Dkt. # 1 at ¶ 30; Dkt. #4 at ¶30. The Facility “includes two warehouses with indoor bulk petroleum tanks, a covered loading dock, three bulk storage areas and three rail sidings.” Dkt. # 9-1 at 1. “The area between the two warehouses [and in front of one of them] is completely paved ____ [with] four storm drains.” Dkt. #25-1 at 8. The Facility has a Storm Drainage System made up of four catch basins which tie into an eight inch discharge on the south side of. the property .... [which] ultimately drains to [1173]*1173the Duwamish East Waterway.” Dkt. # 9-1 at 19; see also Dkt. # 25-1 at 10.

B. Rainier’s NPDES Permits and 2010 SWPPP

Pursuant to the Clean Water Act, explained in greater detail below, the Washington State- Department of Ecology (“Ecology”) granted Rainier coverage under the General Permits2 for this Facility under ' NPDES Permit Number WAR005619. Dkt. #1, ¶ 29; Dkt. #4, ¶ 29. On May 17, 2010, Rainier submitted a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (“SWPPP”) to Ecology pursuant to Permit requirements. See Dkt. # 25-1. Rainier’s SWPPP includes a Facility description, general location map, site map, description of Rainier’s “Stormwater Pollution Prevention Team,” description of the Facility’s industrial activity and associated pollutants, areas on site where potential spills or leaks could occur, various “Best Management Practices” for reducing or containing stormwater pollution, a sampling plan, and “Worksheets for Development-of the SWPPP.” Id. at 2. The SWPPP states that the Facility’s “Regular Business Hours” are “24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.” Id. at 8. The SWPPP contains a “Certification Form” which was signed by Daniel C. Kovacich, vice president, on July 12, 2010. Id. at 46.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard on Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate where “the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Material facts are - those which might affect the outcome of-the suit under governing law. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. In ruling on summary judgment, a court does not weigh evidence to determine the truth of the matter, but “only determine[s] whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Crane v. Conoco, Inc., 41 F.3d 547, 549 (9th Cir.1994) (citing Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. O’Melveny & Myers, 969 F.2d 744, 747. (9th Cir.1992)).

A factual dispute is “genuine” if the evidence is such that reasonable persons could disagree about whether the facts claimed by the moving party are true. Aydin Corp. v. Loral Corp., 718. F.2d 897, 902 (9th Cir.1983). “[T]he issue of material fact required .,. to be present to entitle a party to proceed to trial is not required to be. resolved conclusively in favor of the party asserting its existence; rather, all that is required is that sufficient evidence supporting the claimed factual dispute be shown to require a jury or judge to resolve the parties’ differing versions of the truth at trial.” First Nat. Bank of Ariz. v. Cities Serv. Co., 391 U.S. 253, 288-89, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968). However, the “party opposing summary judgment must direct [the court’s] attention to specific, triable facts,” S. Cal. Gas Co. v. City of Santa Ana, 336 F.3d 885, 889 (9th Cir.2003), and the reviewing court is “not required to comb through the record to find some reason to deny a motion for summary judgment,” Carmen v. San [1174]*1174Francisco Unified Sch. Dist., 237 F.3d 1026, 1029 (9th Cir.2001) (quoting Forsberg v. Pac. Nw. Bell Tel. Co., 840 F.2d 1409, 1418 (9th Cir.1988)). The Court must nevertheless draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. See O’Melveny & Myers, 969 F.2d at 747, rev’d on other grounds, 512 U.S. 79, 114 S.Ct. 2048, 129 L.Ed.2d 67 (1994).

B. Clean Water Act Background

The Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251-1376, aims to restore and maintain the “chemical, physical and biological integrity of [the] Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a).

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138 F. Supp. 3d 1170, 81 ERC (BNA) 1996, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135709, 2015 WL 5794274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alliance-v-rainier-petroleum-corp-wawd-2015.