Martin v. Shell Oil Co.

198 F.R.D. 580, 32 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20440, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17923, 2000 WL 33122753
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedOctober 24, 2000
DocketNo. Civ.A.3:99CV1428(JCH)
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 198 F.R.D. 580 (Martin v. Shell Oil Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martin v. Shell Oil Co., 198 F.R.D. 580, 32 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20440, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17923, 2000 WL 33122753 (D. Conn. 2000).

Opinion

RULING ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS [DKT. NO. 74], PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION [DKT. NOS. 70 AND 77] AND PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT [DKT. NO. 69]

HALL, Judge.

This case arises out of the discovery of a chemical known as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (“MTBE”), which is known to cause negative health effects, in the groundwater near a Shell service station located in Wilton, Connecticut. The plaintiffs, Catherine Martin and Dorinda Fruge, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, contend in their Second Amended Class Action Complaint [Dkt. No. 67] (“Complaint”) that the MTBE found in their wells is attributable to the Shell Oil Company (“Shell”) and its successor in interest, Motiva Enterprises, LLC (“Motiva”).

The defendants seek to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claim for injunctive relief against them on the basis of the primary jurisdiction doctrine.1 Specifically, the defendants contend that the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (“CTDEP”) has jurisdiction over the matter and has in fact addressed the issue of the MTBE in the Wilton groundwater in a series of Orders, the most recent of which was entered in August 1998.2

The plaintiffs respond by arguing that the relief sought in this proceeding has not been provided by the CTDEP and is unlikely ever to be provided by that agency. In addition, they seek certification of a class of individuals they allege have been harmed by Shell’s actions, consisting of “all persons or entities that own and/or use groundwater and wells in the vicinity of the Service Station and who were damaged by the conduct and/or omissions of defendants.” Complaint at H14. This class, the plaintiffs contend, covers a broader group of individuals than that granted relief by the CTDEP’s orders.

The defendants oppose the class certification motion, primarily on the ground that in order to determine who the members of the class are, the court would essentially have to try the case. In other words, in order to determine which Wilton and Georgetown residents have been injured by Shell, the defendants say, the court would have to undertake [583]*583a complete causation analysis as to each such proposed class member, thus negating the typicality and predominance requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and (b).

In response, the plaintiffs contend that the issue of causation has already been decided by the CTDEP in its August 1998 Order, and that Shell is therefore collaterally estopped from contesting causation as to any proposed class members.3 On the basis of the CTDEP orders, the plaintiffs further seek partial summary judgment as to causation.

Thus, the issues before the court that are central to the resolution of these three motions are: (1) whether the CTDEP has primary jurisdiction over the issues raised in this litigation, and (2) whether the Orders entered by the CTDEP thus far collaterally estop Shell from denying liability and therefore, together with the other Rule 23 factors, render class treatment appropriate.

I. FACTS

On March 25, 1992, the Commissioner of the CTDEP unilaterally issued an Order, captioned “State of Connecticut v. Shell Oil Company,” finding that Shell owned and maintained an underground storage tank at its property at 912 Danbury Road in Wilton, that groundwater at the site was polluted with components of gasoline and that by virtue of these facts, Shell had “created or [was] maintaining a facility or condition which reasonably [could] be expected to create a source of pollution to the waters of the State and is the owner of land from which a potential source of pollution emanates.” Exh. A to Memorandum in Support of Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss [Dkt. # 12] at HHA1-A4. The Commissioner set forth a schedule in the Order requiring, inter alia, that Shell retain consultants to investigate the site, submit a scope of study for the investigation, carry out the investigation, submit alternative remediation plans and propose a preferred remediation plan and, upon approval of the plan by the Commissioner, carry out such remedial actions. See Exh. A to Memorandum in Support at H Bl. The Order specifies that it “shall neither create nor affect any rights of persons who or municipalities which are not parties to this order.” Id. at 1! B16. Nothing in the Order indicates that the plaintiffs in the instant action were parties thereto.

In September 1992, Shell and the CTDEP entered into a Consent Order following a hearing that resolved an appeal by Shell from the original March 1992 Order. See Exh. B to Memorandum in Support at H 5-7. The Consent Order 'reflects the finding that groundwater at the property at 912 Danbury Road “is polluted with components of gasoline, including but not limited to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).” Id. at 113. The Order further required Shell to, inter alia, retain a qualified consultant;4 submit a scope of study for an investigation of the “potential impact” of the groundwater pollution “on the environment both on-site and off-site, including ... the existing and potential extent and degree of soil, ground water and surface water pollution;” perform additional investigations if necessary;' propose remedial measures; notify each intervenor and party of the Commissioner’s approval or disapproval of the remediation plan so that such intervenors/parties could request hearings; and perform remedial and monitoring measures in accordance with the Consent Order. Id. at H Bl. The Consent Order further specifies that none of its provisions and no action or inaction by the Commissioner “shall be construed to constitute an assurance by the Commissioner that the actions taken by [Shell] pursuant to this consent order will result in compliance or prevent or abate pollution;” and that the order “shall neither' create nor affect any rights of persons who or municipalities which are not parties to this consent order.” Id. at H1Í14, 16. Again, nothing in the Consent Order [584]*584indicates that the plaintiffs were intervenors or parties to that order.

Finally, in August 1998, the CTDEP issued a third Order finding that “[g]roundwater on and emanating off-site is polluted with components of gasoline including but not limited to methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE),” that “[t]he Commissioner of Public Health has determined that the extent of pollution creates or can reasonably be expected to create an unacceptable risk of injury to the health or safety of persons using the polluted ground waters as a public or private source of water for drinking or other personal or domestic uses,” and that “the extent of pollution creates or can reasonably be expected to create an unacceptable risk of injury to the health or safety of persons using such waters as a public or private source of water for drinking or other personal or domestic uses, and [Shell] is responsible for such pollution.” Exh. C to Memorandum in Support at H1IA4-A8.

The August 1998 Order further orders Shell to provide short-term and long-term potable drinking water supplies to the Shell property at 912 Danbury Road, the Wilton Shopping Center at 920 Danbury Road and “each additional property which the Commissioner of Environmental Protection determines necessary ...

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

Related

Wallace v. Sharp
D. Connecticut, 2022
Sullivan v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp.
226 F. Supp. 3d 288 (D. Vermont, 2016)
Belfiore v. Procter & Gamble Co.
311 F.R.D. 29 (E.D. New York, 2015)
Diaz v. Residential Credit Solutions, Inc.
297 F.R.D. 42 (E.D. New York, 2014)
Annunziato v. Collecto, Inc.
293 F.R.D. 329 (E.D. New York, 2013)
Assif v. Titleserv, Inc.
288 F.R.D. 18 (E.D. New York, 2012)
Pagan v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc.
287 F.R.D. 139 (E.D. New York, 2012)
Mays v. Tennessee Valley Authority
274 F.R.D. 614 (E.D. Tennessee, 2011)
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank v. Morgan Stanley & Co.
269 F.R.D. 252 (S.D. New York, 2010)
Sher v. Raytheon Co.
261 F.R.D. 651 (M.D. Florida, 2009)
Collins v. Olin Corp.
248 F.R.D. 95 (D. Connecticut, 2008)
In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation
243 F.R.D. 79 (S.D. New York, 2007)
United Water New York, Inc. v. Amerada Hess Corp.
476 F. Supp. 2d 275 (S.D. New York, 2007)
Labauve v. Olin Corp.
231 F.R.D. 632 (S.D. Alabama, 2005)
Fogarazzo v. Lehman Bros.
232 F.R.D. 176 (S.D. New York, 2005)
Weiss v. La Suisse, Societe D'assurances Sur La Vie
226 F.R.D. 446 (S.D. New York, 2005)
Denney v. Jenkens & Gilchrist
230 F.R.D. 317 (S.D. New York, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
198 F.R.D. 580, 32 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20440, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17923, 2000 WL 33122753, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martin-v-shell-oil-co-ctd-2000.