International Insurance v. RSR Corp.

148 F. App'x 226
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 20, 2005
Docket03-11272
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 148 F. App'x 226 (International Insurance v. RSR Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
International Insurance v. RSR Corp., 148 F. App'x 226 (5th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

DENNIS, Circuit Judge: *

This is a suit and counterclaim for declaratory judgment regarding coverage issues under claims-made Environmental Impairment Liability (“EIL”) insurance policies issued to RSR Corporation (“RSR”) by International Insurance Co. (“International”) that provide RSR with environmental impairment liability coverage in connection with RSR’s activities at its lead smelting establishment in West Dallas, Texas. The district court granted *228 summary declaratory judgment for RSR on all coverage issues presented, except that the court granted judgment in favor of International decreeing that certain coverage was excluded under Exclusion 7(a) of the policy. International and RSR each appeal from the judgment insofar as it is adverse to them. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

In 1981, the North River Insurance Company (“North River”) issued four claims-made insurance policies to RSR and various related entitles. The policies provided successive layers of environmental impairment liability (“EIL”) coverage. In 1993 International succeeded to the interest of North River, and RSR agreed to the substitution of International for North River as insurer. The policy originally covered the period from September 4,1981 to September 4, 1982, but RSR later purchased an extension of the policy period to November 4, 1982, and then an extended reporting period from November 4, 1982, to November 4, 1983. Coverage was thus extended for alleged environmental impairment that occurred prior to the termination of the policy period and was reported during the extension period.

The parties’ dispute concerns whether RSR is entitled to insurance coverage for environmental impairment caused by its lead smeltery on a site designated by the EPA in West Dallas, Texas. The site consists of approximately 13.6 square miles in West Dallas that includes residential, industrial, commercial, and retail establishments. Secondary lead smelting operations conducted at the smeltery from the 1930s until 1984 caused lead pollution within the 13.6 square miles site. RSR acquired the smeltery in 1971.

A battery wrecking facility located near the smeltery was operated by RSR’s subsidiary, Murph Metals. That facility received automobile batteries from common carriers, shredded them, and separated their lead paste from their plastic and rubber components. The plastic and rubber components were stockpiled on-site until they were removed. Part of the contamination of the site resulted from the use of the lead and battery chips by residents as fill material in residential driveways and yards.

In 1983 during the policy period, the West Dallas facility was the subject of several lawsuits alleging environmental pollution by the West Dallas facility. These actions involved various governmental authorities and several private personal injury and property damage suits. RSR notified North River of the personal injury and property damage suits and received North River’s consent to settle some of the actions. North River paid over $24 million for RSR’s settlements of the personal injury and property damages claims, and for defense costs. The parties formed an escrow agreement and a supplemental agreement in 1985 to provide for the payment of some of the claims against RSR.

In 1991, the EPA began conducting studies relating to soil contamination in parts of West Dallas. For purposes of investigation and cleanup, the EPA administratively divided the West Dallas site into five Operable Units (“OUs”), labeled OU 1 through OU 5. OU 1 consists of a residential area including schools, churches, and parks, as well as private dwellings. The EPA reported finding lead contamination in OU 1 that required environmental remediation. Specifically, the EPA found: (1) airborne emissions originating from the smeltery; and (2) battery chip waste originating from the smeltery that was used as paving material in yards and driveways by residents of OU 1. During 1991 through 1995 the EPA initiated and conducted a *229 two-phase removal cleanup action addressing the lead contamination in OU 1.

In 1993 RSR notified North River that it had received a notice of its potential liability under CERCLA from the EPA regarding the EPA’s environmental remediation activities at the West Dallas site. 1 In 1998, after the EPA threatened to take immediate action against RSR, RSR and its related entities, Quemetco Metals, and Quemetco, Inc., entered into a tolling agreement with the EPA.

International filed suit seeking a declaratory judgment that it owed no duty under the EIL Policy to indemnify RSR against liability for the EPA’s costs in remediating the environmental impairment of the West Dallas site because RSR had breached a condition to International’s performance when it entered into the tolling agreement with the EPA without obtaining International’s written consent. International further argues that the remediation costs and expenses associated with the cleanup of the West Dallas site fell under Exclusions 12(c) and 7(a) of the policy. Additionally, International requested specific performance and asserted a claim for breach of contract contending that the escrow agreement it entered into with RSR in 1985 should be terminated. RSR asserted counterclaims for a declaratory judgment that it is entitled to indemnification for remediation costs and expenses and for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, and violations of the Texas Insurance Code.

In ruling upon the parties’ cross motions for summary judgment, the district court concluded that International was not required to indemnify RSR for its costs associated with OUs 2-5 of the site. 2 In respect to OU 1, the district court held that RSR is entitled to indemnification for cleanup costs and expenses resulting from the lead pollution, but that RSR is not entitled to coverage for remediation of contamination caused by the battery chips because of Exclusion 7(a) in the EIL Policy. The district court entered judgment for International on RSR’s tort, contract, and statutory claims. We now affirm the district court’s order.

II. ANALYSIS

This Court reviews a district court’s granting of summary judgment de novo. Baton Rouge Oil & Chem. Workers Union v. ExxonMobil Corp., 289 F.3d 373, 376 (5th Cir.2002). Summary Judgment is appropriate where there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of America v. Finch, 395 F.3d 238, 240 (5th Cir.2004).

Because this ease is before us on diversity jurisdiction, we must apply Texas’s substantive insurance law in interpreting the insurance contract. Our goal, sitting as an Erie court, is to rule the way the Texas Supreme Court would rule on the issues presented. Primrose Operating Co. v. National American Ins. Co., 382 F.3d 546

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148 F. App'x 226, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/international-insurance-v-rsr-corp-ca5-2005.