McManaway v. KBR, Inc.

906 F. Supp. 2d 654, 2012 WL 6033259
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 4, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. H-10-1044
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 906 F. Supp. 2d 654 (McManaway v. KBR, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McManaway v. KBR, Inc., 906 F. Supp. 2d 654, 2012 WL 6033259 (S.D. Tex. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

VANESSA D. GILMORE, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is the KBR Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Seventh Amended Complaint under Rule 12(b)(1) and Rule 12(b)(6), filed on March 30, 2012 (Instrument No. 217). On August 16, 2012, the Court entered an Order denying Defendants’ Motion (Instrument No. 392). That Order (Instrument No. 392) is revised to clarify the legal standard employed by the Court in reviewing the motion to dismiss. Now, the Court directs the Clerk’s Office to replace the August 16th Order (Instrument No. 392) with the Order below.

[658]*658Plaintiffs are soldiers from the Indiana National Guard, the West Virginia National Guard, and the British Royal Air Force. Defendants are comprised of two groups: the Halliburton Defendants, and the KBR Defendants. The Halliburton Defendants are Halliburton Company (“Halliburton Co.”) and Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. (“HESI”) (collectively the “Halliburton Defendants” or “Halliburton”). The KBR Defendants are KBR, Inc., Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., KBR Technical Services, Inc., Overseas Administration Services, Ltd., and Service Employees International, Inc. (collectively the “KBR Defendants” or “KBR”). In 2003, during the time period at issue in this case, Halliburton Co. was the parent company of HESI, KBR, Inc., Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., KBR Technical Services, Inc., Overseas Administration Services, Ltd., and Service Employees International, Inc, all of its co-defendants in this case. (Instrument No. 234, Ex. A at 2). Sometime after 2003, the Halliburton Defendants and the KBR Defendants separated, and Halliburton Co. ceased being the parent company of KBR, Inc., Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc., KBR Technical Services, Inc., Overseas Administration Services, Ltd., and Service Employees International, Inc.

The instant dispute stems from Plaintiffs’ exposure to sodium dichromate, a chemical used to treat water in oil wells, at the Quarmat Ali water treatment plant in Iraq. The powder form of sodium dichromate is orange-yellow. When mixed with water, sodium dichromate acts as an anti-corrosive agent. Sodium dichromate is also known to be an irritant and a substance that can cause cancer.

In 2003, Plaintiffs provided military protection and escorts to civilian teams that were working to restore operations at Quarmat Ali. The restoration work was part of Project Restore Iraqi Oil (“RIO”), the United States government’s efforts to restore oil production facilities in Iraq. In March of 2003, the United States Army Corps of Engineer (“USACE”) contracted with Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc., then a subsidiary of Halliburton Co., to implement Project RIO. Task Order 3 of the contract specified that KBR was to restore operations at Quarmat Ali.

Plaintiffs filed suit against KBR and Halliburton on March 31, 2010. (Instrument No. 1). Their seventh amended complaint against KBR and Halliburton was filed on July 6, 2011. (Instrument No. 110). In their seventh amended complaint, Plaintiffs allege that they were injured by their exposure to sodium dichromate at Quarmat Ali. They bring claims against KBR and Halliburton for negligence, gross negligence, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that KBR and Halliburton understood and disregarded the danger of wholesale site contamination by sodium dichromate. (Instrument No. 110 at 6, 18). Plaintiffs began suffering from continuous bloody noses; spitting up of blood; coughing; irritation of the nose, eyes, throat, and lungs; and shortness of breath. (Instrument No. 110 at 22). When Plaintiffs complained, KBR and Halliburton managers told them the symptoms were an effect of the “dry desert air” and caused by sand allergies. (Instrument No. 110 at 6-7). Despite this, Plaintiffs allege that KBR and Halliburton knew that blood testing of civilians exposed to the sodium dichromate onsite confirmed elevated chromium levels. (Instrument No. 110 at 7, 9). Since returning from Iraq, Plaintiffs have manifested various illnesses they allege are connected to their. exposure to sodium dichromate, including respiratory system tumors, chemical sensitivities, and rashes. (Instrument [659]*659No. 110 at 7). Two Plaintiffs have died. (Instrument No. 110 at 7).

KBR filed the instant motion to dismiss Plaintiffs’ seventh amended complaint on April 6, 2012. (Instrument No. 217). The Halliburton Defendants joined in KBR’s motion on April 4, 2012. (Instrument No. 220). KBR and Halliburton argue that Plainiffs’ claims should be dismissed because they are barred by the political question doctrine and the combatant activities exception of the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”). Plaintiffs responded to the motion to dismiss on April 24, 2012. (Instrument No. 268). KBR filed a Reply on May 14, 2012. (Instrument No. 273). In addition, KBR filed a notice of additional authority and a supplement to their motion on July 17, 2012. (Instrument Nos. 377, 378).

I.

A.

“A case is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when the court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate the case.” Home Builders Ass’n of Miss. Inc. v. City of Madison, 143 F.3d 1006, 1010 (5th Cir. 1998). A district court may dismiss an action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 12(b)(1) on any one of three separate bases: (1) the complaint alone, (2) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts evidenced in the record, or (3) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts plus the court’s resolution of disputed facts. Ramming v. U.S., 281 F.3d 158, 161 (5th Cir.2001) (citing Barrera-Montenegro v. United States, 74 F.3d 657, 659 (5th Cir.1996)). In examining a Rule 12(b)(1) motion, the courts are empowered to consider matters of fact which are in dispute. See Williamson v. Tucker, 645 F.2d 404, 413 (5th Cir.1981). When the court’s sub ject matter jurisdiction is challenged, the party asserting jurisdiction bears the burden of establishing it. See Gaar v. Quirk, 86 F.3d 451, 453 (5th Cir.1996). Any uncontroverted facts in the complaint must, however, be accepted as true. See Gaubert v. United States, 885 F.2d 1284, 1285 (5th Cir.1989), rev’d on other grounds, 499 U.S. 315, 111 S.Ct. 1267, 113 L.Ed.2d 335 (1991) (citing Gibbs v. Buck, 307 U.S. 66, 59 S.Ct. 725, 83 L.Ed. 1111 (1939)). Moreover, the court must construe the complaint broadly and liberally. See Gaubert, 885 F.2d at 1285 (citing Norton v. Larney, 266 U.S. 511, 45 S.Ct. 145, 69 L.Ed. 413(1925)).

When a Rule 12(b)(1) is filed in conjunction with other Rule 12 motions, the court should usually consider the Rule 12(b)(1) jurisdictional attack before addressing any attack on the merits. See Ramming, 281 F.3d at 161. This requirement prevents a court without jurisdiction from prematurely dismissing a case with prejudice. See id.

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Bluebook (online)
906 F. Supp. 2d 654, 2012 WL 6033259, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcmanaway-v-kbr-inc-txsd-2012.