Shell Oil Co. v. United States

93 Fed. Cl. 439, 72 ERC (BNA) 1363, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 276, 2010 WL 2197741
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMay 27, 2010
DocketNo. 06-141C
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 93 Fed. Cl. 439 (Shell Oil Co. 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
Shell Oil Co. v. United States, 93 Fed. Cl. 439, 72 ERC (BNA) 1363, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 276, 2010 WL 2197741 (uscfc 2010).

Opinion

[441]*441 OPINION

SMITH, Senior Judge.

I INTRODUCTION 1

During World War II, the United States required massive quantities of 100-octane aviation gasoline (“avgas”) for use in airplane engines. The production of avgas was a critical requirement for the successful prosecution of the war.2 Because of this, the Government had the authority to require the production of avgas at refineries owned by Plaintiffs and to seize the refineries if necessary. However, instead of seizing the refineries, the Government entered into contractual agreements with Plaintiffs to ensure avgas production.

Long after World War II (WWII) was over and after the contracts had expired, Plaintiffs were held liable for the costs of cleaning up the waste produced during the production of the avgas.3 Plaintiffs come before this Court contending that, pursuant to the contracts, the Government must reimburse them for the cleanup costs. The Government counters that Plaintiffs’ claims allege an indemnification clause, a clause that was not found on the face of the contracts and, therefore, the Government is not liable. Even if an indemnification clause can be read into the contracts, the Government further argues that it lacked statutory authority under the Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA) to agree to such a clause. Thus, the Government contends that it cannot be responsible for reimbursing the Plaintiffs for their cleanup costs.

Presently before the Court are Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Plaintiffs’ Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment as to Liability. After full briefing, oral argument, and careful consideration, the Court hereby DENIES Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and GRANTS Plaintiffs Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment as to Liability for the reasons set forth below.

II. FACTS

A. The Contracts

From January 1942 through May 1943, Plaintiffs entered into 10 separate contracts4 (collectively Avgas Contracts) with the Defense Supplies Corporation (DSC), a component of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). Plaintiffs’ Appendix (P.App.) 1-243; see also D. Br. 2. The Avgas Contracts contained 17 numbered sections, not all of them used in every contract. D. Br. 6. The pertinent section for this opinion can be found in the “Taxes” clause, which states in subsection (a), that the Government agreed to pay:

[A]ny new or additional taxes, fees, or charges, other than income, excess profits, or corporate franchise taxes, which Seller may be required to pay by any municipal, state, or federal law in the United States or any foreign country to collect or pay by reason of the production, manufacture, sale or delivery of the [avgas].

P. App. at 41-42. The contracts also contained provisions in which the Government agreed to bear the risk of increased costs in the production of avgas, unless the Government was willing to accept reduced production. P.App. 36.

B. The Dumping of Acid Waste

Avgas is a blend of several different chemical elements which produced sulfuric acid waste as a byproduct. During WWII, it was necessary to produce large quantities of av-gas which generated much larger quantities [442]*442of acid waste than before the war. As a result, Plaintiffs had to send some of the acid waste to a hazardous materials dump (the McColl Site). The McColl Site was chosen because the demands of WWII caused chronic shortages of tank cars that otherwise might have otherwise been available to transport acid waste elsewhere for reprocessing. Plaintiffs also requested additional resources for the construction of new reprocessing plants to eliminate the waste. However, the Government denied these requests.

C. The Clean-Up

In 1991, the United States and the State of California brought suit against Plaintiffs in the Central District of California pursuant to CERCLA5 for recovery of costs incurred in cleaning up the acid waste at the McColl Site. Plaintiffs counterclaimed against the United States, asserting that the Government should be held responsible for the CERCLA costs. Under CERCLA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has broad authority to provide for cleanup of sites contaminated by hazardous substances. The United States may bring suit to hold the parties responsible for the hazardous substances financially liable for the cleanup. While all responsible parties are jointly and severally liable, the court has the authority to equitably apportion the cleanup costs among them. 42 U.S.C. § 9613(f)(1).

In 1993, the district court granted partial summary judgment in favor of the United States and the State of California, holding that Plaintiffs were responsible parties and thus liable under CERCLA. Shell Oil, 841 F.Supp. at 968-74. Later, in 1994, the parties entered into a partial consent decree pursuant to which Plaintiffs provisionally paid $18,000,000 for CERCLA costs incurred by the United States and State of California through 1990; however, Plaintiffs retained the right to recover those funds should the Government ultimately be held responsible for the cleanup or liable under the Avgas Contracts to reimburse the Plaintiffs. Partial Consent Decree, P.App. 345-76.

In 1995, the district court granted Plaintiffs partial summary judgment as to the liability of the United States as an “arranger” under CERCLA for the CERCLA costs.6 United States v. Shell Oil Co., No. CV 91-589, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19778, at *18-*25 (C.D.Cal. Sep. 18, 1995). Because the court had found both the Plaintiffs and United States jointly liable under CERCLA, it conducted a trial in 1998 to determine the appropriate allocation of the cleanup costs. Based on the parties’ stipulations and the evidence presented at trial, the district court allocated 100 percent of the costs of cleaning up the avgas waste7 to the United States, which included the $18,000,000 previously paid by the Plaintiffs. U.S. v. Shell Oil, 13 F.Supp.2d 1018, 1030 (C.D.Cal.1998).

On appeal, the Ninth Circuit reversed the ruling that the United States was liable as an “arranger” for the avgas waste and remanded the case back to the district court. Shell Oil, 294 F.3d at 1048-49. Because the Court of Appeals concluded that the United States was not an “arranger” under CERCLA for the avgas waste, it did not directly address the district court’s allocation of liability for the cleanup of that waste. Id. at 1059. Following remand, the district court resolved all remaining counterclaims, except that it transferred the Plaintiffs’ counterclaim for breach of contract to this Court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1631. Shell Oil Co. v. United States, No. 05-704 (Fed.Cl.2005).

[443]*443In order to exhaust their administrative remedies in accordance with the Contract Settlement Act of 1944(CSA), 41 U.S.C. § 113, Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the transferred complaint without prejudice.

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Bluebook (online)
93 Fed. Cl. 439, 72 ERC (BNA) 1363, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 276, 2010 WL 2197741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shell-oil-co-v-united-states-uscfc-2010.