Scogin v. United States

33 Fed. Cl. 285, 1995 WL 223260
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedApril 14, 1995
DocketNo. 94-1068L
StatusPublished
Cited by158 cases

This text of 33 Fed. Cl. 285 (Scogin v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scogin v. United States, 33 Fed. Cl. 285, 1995 WL 223260 (uscfc 1995).

Opinion

ORDER

MILLER, Judge.

This case is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(4) for failure to state a claim upon [286]*286which relief can be granted. Plaintiff has opposed. Argument is deemed unnecessary.

FACTS

The following facts are derived from plaintiffs complaint. Virgil J. Scogin, Sr. (“plaintiff”), owns an industrial parcel of approximately 7.8 acres abutting the Bayou Bonfouca Superfund Site (the “Site”). The Site, an abandoned creosote wood treatment facility located in the City of Slidell, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, consists of approximately 53 acres, including nearly 4000 feet of navigable waterway known as the Bayou Bonfouca and its banks. Plaintiff is the President of Standard Materials, Inc., an enterprise involved in the preparation of pre-stressed concrete pilings.

From 1892 to 1970, the Site was operated as a wood treatment facility, which used creosote to treat formed lumber, such as telephone poles and railroad ties. In 1976 the United States Coast Guard discovered creosote in the sediments underlying the Bayou Bonfouca waterway. On September 28, 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”), pursuant to section 105(a)(8)(B) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. § 9605(a)(8)(B) (1988) (“CERCLA”), placed the Site on the National Priorities List (the “NPL”). The NPL, promulgated at 40 C.F.R. pt. 300, app. B (1994), identifies those sites at which releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances are found to present the greatest threats to public health and the environment. The soil, groundwater, Bayou sediments, and surface waste piles at the Site were found to contain hazardous substances, as defined by section 101(14) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. § 9601(14). See 40 C.F.R. § 302.4. Plaintiffs property itself is not contaminated and is not part of the Site.

The EPA conducted numerous public hearings to discuss potential remedial measures for the Site. On March 31, 1987, the EPA issued the Record of Decision. The remedy selected included the excavation and removal of contaminated Bayou sediments. This approach contemplated, among other things, the use of subsurface sheetpiles to support the banks of the Bayou during dredging. Other measures included installing and reading of air monitors and surveying equipment at the Site. In order to carry out these remedial measures, the EPA required access to plaintiffs property. 42 U.S.C. § 9604(a)-(b).

On a date that does not appear in the record, plaintiff requested a meeting with EPA representatives in order to discuss the impact of the proposed remedial action on plaintiffs barge-docking area. By letter dated February 26, 1987, Kathleen O’Reilly, a geologist with EPA Region VI (later Region 6) in Dallas, Texas, declined plaintiffs request. Ms. O’Reilly noted: “We -will certainly work with you on this problem and have no intention of rendering your company unable to perform contracted work____” Ms. O’Reilly explained, however, that until the remedial plans were more fully developed and the actual impact of such plans on plaintiffs docking area was known, a meeting would be premature.

On October 16, 1989, Robert M. Griswold, Remedial Project Manager, EPA Region 6, contacted plaintiff regarding the drilling of subsurface borings on plaintiffs property. By letter dated October 17, 1989, Mr. Gris-wold informed Bren Bishop, Vice President and General Manager of Administration of Standard Materials, that the EPA “and its contractors will coordinate all locations of these borings with you or your authorized representative____” Mr. Griswold enclosed a form entitled “CONSENT FOR ACCESS TO PROPERTY” for Mr. Bishop’s signature. This form purported to allow access to plaintiffs property for the following purposes:

1. The installation of such equipment as necessary to support sheet piling or other similar type slope stabilization methods;
2. The installation of slope monitoring equipment such as inclinometers to be placed in bore holes;
3. Placement of monitoring equipment such as air monitors, surveying equipment, etc.;
4. Access to install and measure the aforementioned equipment;
[287]*2875. Other items as necessary to carry out the remedial action as outlined in the project’s Record of Decision and Explanation of Significant Differences.

The form stated that “[t]he term of this agreement shall cease 7 years from the date of which the instrument herein was signed by the owner(s)____” Plaintiff did not sign this document. Instead, on October 18,1989, Mr. Bishop, on behalf of Standard Materials, signed a similar form, which differed from the original in two respects. First, the “purposes” in the original form were replaced with the following: “1. The taking of such soil samples as are determined necessary to investigate the subsurface materials.” Second, the stated term of the agreement was two months, instead of seven years. In late 1989 and early 1990, the EPA took soil borings from plaintiffs property.

The record indicates that by letter dated August 20, 1990, plaintiff contacted Ben J. Harrison, Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 6, to inquire about the effects of the remedial work being conducted at the Site. Mr. Harrison responded on November 1, 1990:

I fully realize that closure of the Bayou may have an adverse economic impact on your operations. Any losses which you may suffer during the remedial action are the result of prior releases of creosote into the Bayou. The law allows any person to bring suit in his own behalf against any other person alleged to be in violation of any standard, regulation or requirement which has become effective pursuant to ... [CERCLA]. Under this law, you may pursue legal action against any party responsible for the release of the creosote into the Bayou.

Mr. Harrison also stated:

The signing of the consent to access agreement is a separate issue. Regardless of whether you have a claim against EPA because of the closure of the Bayou, you will still be required to allow the Agency and Agency contractors access to your property. The Agency has asked that you give this consent voluntarily. You have indicated that you will not give such consent. If your consent is not granted, EPA is authorized to issue an administrative order pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 9604(e). EPA is also authorized to ask the Attorney General to commence a civil action to compel access or to enforce an administrative order. Under this section, the court may require compliance with the order and issue a fine of up to $25,000 per day of noncompliance____

On June 18,1991, EPA Region 6 issued an order pursuant to CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. § 9604(e)(5), requiring plaintiff to allow the EPA access to his property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Fed. Cl. 285, 1995 WL 223260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scogin-v-united-states-uscfc-1995.