Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC v. Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 5, 2024
Docket2:23-cv-00943
StatusUnknown

This text of Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC v. Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc. (Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC v. Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC v. Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc., (E.D. Cal. 2024).

Opinion

1 Edward E. Yates, Esq. SB#135138 Law Office of Edward E. Yates 2 2060 Sutter Street, #403 3 San Francisco, CA 94115 Telephone: (415) 990-4805 4 Email: eyates@marinlandlaw.com 5 Adam D. Brumm, Esq. SB#257906 6 Eden Environmental Defenders 1520 E. Covell Blvd, Suite B5-611 7 Davis, CA 95616 Telephone: (800) 545-7215, Extension 906 8 Email: adam@edendefenders.org 9 10 Attorneys for Plaintiff CENTRAL VALLEY EDEN ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS 11 12 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 13 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 14 15 CENTRAL VALLEY EDEN ) Case No.: 2:23−CV−00943−KJM−CKD 16 ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS, LLC, a ) California limited liability company, ) STIPULATION TO DISMISS ENTIRE 17 ) ACTION AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS Plaintiff, ) WITH PREJUDICE; ORDER GRANTING 18 ) DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE vs. ) 19 ) FRCP 41(a)(2) NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS, INC., a ) 20 California corporation; and DOES 1-10, ) ) 21 inclusive, ) ) 22 ) Defendants. ) 23 ) 24 Plaintiff Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC (“Plaintiff”) and Defendant 25 26 Nutrien AG Solutions, Inc. (“Defendant”), hereby enter into this Stipulation to Dismiss 27 Plaintiff’s Complaint and all claims against all Defendants with prejudice. 28 WHEREAS, Plaintiff and Defendant (the “Parties”) have entered into a settlement 1 agreement that achieves a full and final settlement of all Plaintiff’s claims against Defendant as 2 3 set forth in the Complaint filed in this matter on May 19, 2023 (Docket No. 1). 4 WHEREAS, on October 12, 2023, the Parties filed a Notice of Settlement notifying the 5 Court that the Parties had reached a full settlement to resolve all outstanding issues in this action 6 (“Settlement Agreement”). 7 8 WHEREAS, on October 18, 2023, Plaintiff served a copy of the Settlement Agreement 9 on the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for a mandatory 45-day review period under 33 U.S.C. § 10 1365(c)(3) and 40 C.F.R. § 135.5. All interested parties agree that the expiration date of the 45- 11 day review period was December 4, 2023. 12 WHEREAS, the Parties’ Notice of Settlement specified that upon the expiration of the 13 14 DOJ’s review period, if no objection was lodged by the DOJ, the Settling Parties would stipulate 15 to and request an order from this Court dismissing with prejudice Plaintiff’s claims as to 16 Defendant. 17 WHEREAS, the statutory agency review period has expired without any objection being 18 lodged by the DOJ. 19 20 NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED and agreed to by and between the 21 Parties that Plaintiff’s Complaint and all claims against Defendant shall be dismissed with 22 prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2). 23 The Parties respectfully request an order from this Court dismissing such claims with 24 25 prejudice, with each side to bear their own attorney fees and costs, except as provided for by the 26 terms of the Settlement Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A. 27 . 28 1 Dated: December 11, 2023 Respectfully,

2 3 By: __ /S/_Edward E. Yates___________ Edward E. Yates 4 Attorney for Plaintiff

5 6

8 Dated: December 11, 2023 Respectfully, 9

10 By: __Tiffany R. Hedgpeth______ Tiffany R. Hedgpeth 11 Attorney for Defendant 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ORDER Good cause appearing, and the parties having stipulated and agreed, IT IS HEREBY 3 4 ORDERED as follows: 5 The Complaint filed in this matter by plaintiff CENTRAL VALLEY EDEN © |] ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS, LLC, and all claims against defendant NUTRIEN AG ’ SOLUTIONS, INC. are hereby dismissed in their entirety, with prejudice. Each party is to bear their own attorney fees and costs, except as provided for in the

19 || Settlement agreement executed by the parties on October 18, 2023, a copy of which is attached 11 hereto as Exhibit A. However, the court in its discretion declines to maintain jurisdiction to || enforce the terms of the parties’ settlement agreement. Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 381 (1994); cf Collins v. Thompson, 8 F.3d 657, 659 (9th Cir. 1993). Unless there is some independent basis for federal jurisdiction, enforcement of the agreement is for the

16 || State courts. Kokkonen, 511 U.S. at 382. 17 IT IS SO ORDERED. |! Dated: J anuary 4, 2024. 19 20 21 CHIEF ED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

STIP to DISMISS — Page 4

EXHIBIT A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE

This Settlement Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC (“EDEN”), on behalf of itself and its members, and Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc. (“Nutrien Ag Solutions”). EDEN and Nutrien Ag Solutions are hereinafter each referred to as a “Party” or collectively as the “Parties.”

RECITALS

A. WHEREAS, EDEN is an environmental citizen’s group organized under the laws of the State of California, dedicated to protect, enhance, and assist in the restoration of all rivers, creeks, streams, wetlands, vernal pools, and tributaries of California, and the United States.

B. WHEREAS, Nutrien Ag Solutions operates a facility that distributes and/or mixes fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. The facility is located at 1905 North Broadway Avenue in Stockton, California (“Facility”).

C. WHEREAS, EDEN contends the Facility is subject to various federal and state regulatory requirements, including compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act (“CWA”) through the General Industrial Storm Water Permit issued by the State of California (NPDES General Permit No. CAS000001) [State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB”)] Water Quality Order No. 2014-0057-DWQ, as amended by Orders 2015-0122-DWQ and 2018-XXXX-DWQ (hereinafter “General Permit”). The Facility is currently not covered under the General Permit.

D. WHEREAS, on August 4, 2022, EDEN served Nutrien Ag Solutions with a 60-Day Notice of Violations and Intent to File Suit (“Notice Letter”) alleging various violations of the CWA and the General Permit relating to activities at the Facility. A copy of the Notice Letter is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

E. WHEREAS, on or about May 19, 2023, EDEN filed a Complaint in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Defendant Nutrien Ag Solutions (Civil Action No. 2:23−CV−00943−KJM-CKD) (“Complaint”).

F. WHEREAS, Nutrien Ag Solutions denies all allegations and claims contained in the Complaint and Notice Letter and reserves all rights and defenses with respect to such allegations and claims.

G. WHEREAS, the Parties have expended effort and resources in investigating and evaluating the allegations and claims set forth in the Notice Letter and Complaint, as well as engaging in negotiations regarding settlement. H. WHEREAS, the Parties believe it is in their mutual interest to now resolve in full through settlement EDEN’s allegations set forth in the Notice Letter and Complaint, to avoid the cost and uncertainties of further litigation.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration through the execution of this Agreement and the releases, satisfactions and promises made herein, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Parties Bound By This Agreement.

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Related

Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
511 U.S. 375 (Supreme Court, 1994)
Collins v. Thompson
8 F.3d 657 (Ninth Circuit, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC v. Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-valley-eden-environmental-defenders-llc-v-nutrien-ag-solutions-caed-2024.