Evenson v. Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc.

760 F. Supp. 1345, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19011, 1990 WL 285756
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedSeptember 18, 1990
DocketIP 87-388-C
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 760 F. Supp. 1345 (Evenson v. Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evenson v. Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc., 760 F. Supp. 1345, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19011, 1990 WL 285756 (S.D. Ind. 1990).

Opinion

DILLIN, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on a joint motion for summary judgment by Os-mose Wood Preserving, Inc. and American Wood Preserver’s Institute on the basis of federal preemption, and on American Wood Preservers Institute’s separate motion for summary judgment on additional grounds.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Gary Evenson worked at Indiana Wood Preserving in Morristown, Indiana as a wood treatment worker from 1980 to 1985. As part of his duties, Even-son treated lumber with a pesticide manufactured by Osmose Wood Preserving, Inc. (Osmose) which contained chromic acid, copper oxide, and arsenic acid (also called chromated copper arsenate or “CCA”). Evenson claims that his exposure to the pesticide caused him injury, including asthma and upper chest pains. He filed a complaint in Shelby Circuit Court on March 13, 1987, which complaint was properly removed to this Court on April 13, 1987.

This Court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants on December 27, 1988, on the basis that the plaintiff had not timely commenced his suit under the applicable statute of limitations. The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed this Court’s decision, Evenson v. Osmose Wood Preserving Co. of America, 899 F.2d 701 (7th Cir.1990), and remanded the case for further proceedings including a determination of whether plaintiff’s claims are preempted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. §§ 136-136y (1988).

In addition to reasserting nonliability based on preemption, AWPI asserts separate grounds for summary judgment.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment, pursuant to Rule 56, F.R.Civ.P., is proper only when there is no genuine issue of material fact. Big O Tire *1347 Dealers, Inc. v. Big O Warehouse, 741 F.2d 160, 163 (7th Cir.1984). The burden of establishing the lack of any genuine issue of material fact is upon the movant, and all doubts are to be resolved against him. Yorger v. Pittsburgh Corning Corp., 733 F.2d 1215, 1218 (7th Cir.1984). If the moving party has met this initial burden and the nonmoving party claims the existence of a question of fact, the Court must then determine whether a genuine issue has been established as to that fact. Big O Tire Dealers, 741 F.2d at 163. Summary judgment must be entered against the non-moving party where the nonmoving party, after adequate time for discovery, “fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265, 273 (1986). “In such a situation, there can be no ‘genuine issue as to any material fact,’ since a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.” Id.

Defendants’ joint motion

Evenson claims, inter alia, that the warnings and health and safety-related information which he received from the defendants were inadequate. He does not allege that the defendants failed to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements authorized by FIFRA, but rather alleges that the defendants’ alleged failure to warn gives rise to common law negligence liability.

Congress may preempt state law through either express language or implication. See, e.g., Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc., 789 F.2d 181 (3d Cir.1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1043, 107 S.Ct. 907, 93 L.Ed.2d 857 (1987). Implicit preemption may occur when Congress had manifested its intent to occupy an entire field of regulation or when state law stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment of the full objectives of Congress. Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission, 476 U.S. 355, 368-69, 106 S.Ct. 1890, 1898-99, 90 L.Ed.2d 369, 381-82 (1986); Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp., 464 U.S. 238, 249, 104 S.Ct. 615, 621, 78 L.Ed.2d 443, 453 (1984). There is a presumption that “Congress did not intend to displace state law.” Maryland v. Louisiana, 451 U.S. 725, 746, 101 S.Ct. 2114, 2129, 68 L.Ed.2d 576, 595 (1981).

The defendants contend that § 136v shows Congress’ intent to preempt state tort law claims based on inadequate labeling and warnings. They assert that common law negligence claims based on inadequacy of warnings and other information challenge the adequacy of EPA-required product labeling and thus would conflict with the both language and purpose of FIFRA. Section 136v provides the following in relevant part:

(a) In general
A State may regulate the sale or use of any federally registered pesticide or device in the State, but only if and to the extent the regulation does not permit any sale or use prohibited by this subchapter.

7 U.S.C. § 136v(a).

(b) Uniformity
Such State shall not impose or continue in effect any requirements for labeling or packaging in addition to or different from those required under this subchap-ter.

7 U.S.C. § 136v(b).

It is clear that § 136v provides the states with some regulatory role in the area of pesticides. The question here is whether Evenson’s claim poses a conflict with FI-FRA’s directive against state changes in labeling requirements.

Case authority submitted by the parties reveals a decided split on the issue of federal preemption. The Seventh Circuit has not yet decided the question. The defendants rely on a line of cases beginning with Fitzgerald v. Mallinckrodt, Inc., 681 F.Supp. 404 (E.D.Mich.1987), which held that “any state law tort recovery based on a failure to warn theory would abrogate Congress’ intent to provide uniform regulations governing the labeling of pesticides.” Id. at 407. The Fitzgerald court adopted

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Bluebook (online)
760 F. Supp. 1345, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19011, 1990 WL 285756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evenson-v-osmose-wood-preserving-inc-insd-1990.