Bourbon Mini-Mart Inc. v. COM'R, DEPT. OF ENVIR.

806 N.E.2d 14
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 7, 2004
Docket50A03-0307-CV-285
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 806 N.E.2d 14 (Bourbon Mini-Mart Inc. v. COM'R, DEPT. OF ENVIR.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bourbon Mini-Mart Inc. v. COM'R, DEPT. OF ENVIR., 806 N.E.2d 14 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

806 N.E.2d 14 (2004)

BOURBON MINI-MART, INC. and Robert E. Wanemacher, Appellants-Defendants,
v.
COMMISSIONER, INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Appellee-Plaintiff.

No. 50A03-0307-CV-285.

Court of Appeals of Indiana.

April 7, 2004.

*16 Patricia Polis McCrory, Harrison & Moberly, Indianapolis, IN, Attorneys for Appellants.

Steve Carter, Attorney General of Indiana, Ellen H. Meilaender, Deputy Attorney General, Indianapolis, IN, Attorneys for Appellee.

*15 OPINION

SHARPNACK, Judge.

Bourbon Mini-Mart, Inc., and Robert Wanemacher (collectively "Mini-Mart") appeal the trial court's grant of summary judgment to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management ("IDEM"). Bourbon Mini Mart, Inc. raises two issues, which we consolidate and restate as whether the trial court correctly applied Ind. Code § 13-7-20-19(b) in granting IDEM's motion for summary judgment. We affirm.

The relevant facts designated by the parties follow. Bourbon Mini-Mart, Inc. (the "Gas Station") is a gas station and convenience store owned by Robert Wanemacher ("Owner"). The Gas Station stored gasoline in underground storage tanks, and in February 1990, the Workmans and the Duffs (collectively "Homeowners"), who owned residential properties adjacent to the Gas Station, complained that an unknown substance had entered their properties causing vapors to collect in their basements.[1] The residences were evacuated, and the Northern Indiana Public Service Company ("NIPSCO") shut off the residences' utilities.

IDEM's Emergency Response Section responded and began an investigation of the Gas Station property. During the first week of the investigation, IDEM determined that there was a petroleum problem, which investigators noted was usually caused by leaking underground storage tanks. IDEM named Jill Stevens as the Project Manager of the Gas Station investigation, and during the week of March 5-9, 1990, Stevens was at the Gas Station property to "oversee the installation of monitoring wells for the purpose of finding any contaminants in the groundwater, in the soils, and [to try] to determine the source of the contamination." Appellant's Appendix at 60. IDEM installed seven monitoring wells on the Gas Station property, and three of the seven wells revealed a significant amount of contamination as well as strong odors of petroleum.

Stevens then contacted Owner, told him that the Gas Station was the source of the contamination, and asked him to proceed with cleanup. She also told Owner that it would cost approximately $50,000 to clean up the Gas Station property. However, Owner was reluctant to begin cleanup, contacted his environmental consulting firm, *17 and initiated his own investigation of the Gas Station property. Owner believed that the source of the contamination was a former Shell station; however, IDEM's investigation revealed, "the former Shell station could possibly have provided some of the contamination in that the groundwater may have flowed a little towards the west, but that for sure, [the Gas Station] was the main source." Id. at 109. Eventually, Stevens contacted Owner, and told him that because of the urgency of the situation, IDEM was not going to wait for the results of his investigation, it was planning to initiate cleanup, and it would attempt to recover the cleanup costs at a later date. Stevens, in her deposition testimony, said, "[w]e felt at IDEM that this problem warranted emergency action, urgent action, to protect the residents of the two homes." Id. at 83. IDEM installed two monitoring wells and began a program to pump and treat the contaminated ground water. IDEM also installed vent systems in the Homeowners' residences in order to vent the fumes out of their basements.

In late summer 1991, the Workmans complained to IDEM about vapors in and around their home, noting that they thought the vapors had worsened. Stevens took an air canister sample in the Workman's home that revealed "high levels of contaminants which were not in the groundwater which was being run through the air stripper." Id. at 308. In 1992, IDEM removed the groundwater pump and treat system "due to continued access and operational issues with the property owner." Id. at 315. In June 1993, IDEM installed a new system, which "utilized an air stripper for groundwater treatment" and "a bio-filter bed for air effluent treatment." Id.

In June 1991, IDEM brought an action against Mini-Mart to recover the clean-up costs. IDEM's complaint alleged, in part, that:

* * * * *

6. [IDEM] demanded that [Mini-Mart] undertake corrective action with respect to the contamination emanating from the [Gas Station] property but [Mini-Mart] refused. On or about April 28, 1990, [IDEM] therefore took corrective action under the authority of P.L. 172—1987 Section 2(a) (a non-code section) by beginning the installation and operation of treatment systems for the groundwater. [IDEM] continues to operate this system.
* * * * *
12. The corrective action taken in this case by [IDEM] was necessary, in [IDEM's] judgment, to protect human health and the environment. [IDEM] could find no owner or operator of the underground tanks who was capable of carrying out corrective action with respect to the release because all such owners and operators refused to do so. Moreover, the existing situation required prompt action by [IDEM] to protect human health and the environment due to the contaminated condition of the groundwater and the explosive nature of the contaminants as they reached and threatened to reach buildings in the area.
13. [IDEM] has expended funds in taking corrective action in this matter in the amount of One Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($160,000) for which [Mini-Mart] is liable under IC XX-X-XX-XX.
* * * * *
Wherefore, [IDEM] prays that [Mini-Mart] be ordered to reimburse [IDEM] for its costs for corrective action in the *18 amount of One Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($160,000) plus all additional costs incurred by [IDEM].

Id. at 31-33.[2]

On June 13, 2002, IDEM filed a motion for summary judgment, alleging that it had incurred $1,443,503.40 in costs associated with the cleanup of the Gas Station property and that Mini-Mart was "liable for the `actual costs' of any corrective action, and must undertake corrective action on site." Id. at 222. IDEM, relying upon Ind.Code § 13-23-13-8, argued that "[t]he costs for which the state is entitled to recover include costs for `enforcement of this article' and `expenses incurred by the state under section 8 of this chapter in recovering costs of corrective actions.'" Id. at 223.

Mini-Mart filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, alleging that IDEM was not entitled to recover costs under its complaint because IDEM had not satisfied the elements of Ind.Code § 13-7-20-19(b)(1)(4). Mini-Mart added, "[t]he satisfaction of these elements is a condition precedent to recovery under I.C. 13-[7]-20-21, which is the foundation of IDEM's Complaint." Id. at 225-226.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Gerald G. Gray v. Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
102 N.E.3d 917 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2018)
Gaeta v. State
953 N.E.2d 1212 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2011)
Curtis v. State
937 N.E.2d 868 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2010)
Torres v. Indiana Family & Social Services Administration
905 N.E.2d 24 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Marriage of Basileh v. Alghusain
890 N.E.2d 779 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2008)
Midwest Minerals Inc. v. Board of Zoning Appeals
880 N.E.2d 1264 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2008)
Breining v. Harkness
872 N.E.2d 155 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)
Indiana State Board of Education v. Brownsburg Community School Corp.
865 N.E.2d 660 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)
Tippecanoe Beverages, Inc. v. Heineken USA, Inc.
406 F. Supp. 2d 1033 (N.D. Indiana, 2006)
Scottish Rite of Indianapolis Foundation, Inc. v. Adams
834 N.E.2d 1024 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
806 N.E.2d 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bourbon-mini-mart-inc-v-comr-dept-of-envir-indctapp-2004.