Shell Oil Company v. United States

130 Fed. Cl. 8, 2017 U.S. Claims LEXIS 13, 2017 WL 75856
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJanuary 6, 2017
DocketConsl. Ct. 06-141 C
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 130 Fed. Cl. 8 (Shell Oil Company 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 Company v. United States, 130 Fed. Cl. 8, 2017 U.S. Claims LEXIS 13, 2017 WL 75856 (uscfc 2017).

Opinion

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.-,

Damages Caused By Breach Of Contract; Federal Rules of Evidence (“FRE”) 702 (Experts);

Remand.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND FINAL ORDER ON REMAND REGARDING BREACH OF CONTRACT DAMAGES

BRADEN, Judge.

This case was filed almost a decade ago, after the United States (“the Government”) reneged on contractual promises made during World War II to American oil companies that voluntarily agreed to “work night and day,” without regard to shareholder obligations, to increase the production of military aviation gas. In 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held the Government was liable for a breach of contract, but instructed this court to ascertain whether that breach caused damages and, if so, the amount, After affording the parties additional discovery and an evidentia-ry hearing, the court has determined that the above captioned oil companies collectively are entitled to $99,690,847.32, including $30,991,111.02 in interest which the U.S. taxpayers could have avoided paying, if the Government had lived up to its obligations, instead of wasting years in litigation.

To facilitate review of this Memorandum Opinion and Final Order On Remand Regarding Breach Of Contract Damages, the court has provided the following outline:

I.THE CRITICAL ROLE ASSUMED BY THE OIL COMPANIES DURING WORLD WAR II TO INCREASE PRODUCTION OF MILITARY AVIATION GASOLINE AND RELATED ACID WASTE DISPOSAL ISSUES (1940-1946).

II. THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, AND LIABILITY ACT LITIGATION (1991-2006).

III. THE BREACH OF CONTRACT LITIGATION (2006 TQ THE PRESENT).

A. Initial Proceedings Before The United States Court of Federal Claims (2005-2009).

B. The First Appeal To The United States Court Of Appeals For The Federal Circuit (2009-2010).

C. The First Remand To The United States Court Of Federal Claims (2010).

D. The Second Appeal To The United States Court Of Appeals For The Federal Circuit (2010-2012).

E. The Second Remand Tq The United States Court Of Federal Claims (2012-2013).'

F. The Third Appeal To The United States Court Of Appeals For The Federal Circuit (2014).

G. The Third Remand To The United States Court Of Federal Claims (2014 To The Present).

IV. DISCUSSION.

A. Jurisdiction.

B. Standing.

C. Evidence Adduced At The Remand Proceeding.

1. Crude Oil Was Processed Into Aviation Gasoline And Other Petroleum By-Products, Both Of Which Resulted In “Acid Waste.”

2. Spent Alkylation Acid And Acid .Sludge Are Components Of “Acid Waste” And Both Were Disposed Of At The McColl Site.

a. The Opinion Of The Oil Companies’ Petroleum Engineering Expert.

i. Spent Alkylation Acid Was Disposed Of At The McColl Site.

ii. Acid Sludge Was Disposed Of At The McColl Site.

*12 b. The Opinion Of The Government’s Petroleum Engineering Expert.

i. Little Or No Spent Alkylation Acid Was Disposed Of At The McColl Site.

c. The Court’s Findings.

3. The McColl Site.

a. The Physical Properties Of The McColl Site.

b. “Contaminants Of Concern” At The McColl Site.

c. The Remediation Solution Elected By The Environmental Protection Agency For The McColl Site.

D. All Of The Acid Waste Disposed Of At The McColl Site Was “By Reason Of’ The Avgas Contracts.

1. The Relevant Causation Standard.

2. In 1942, It Was Reasonably Foreseeable To The Government That The Taxes Clause Of The Avgas Contracts Could Be. Invoked In the Future To Compensate The Oil Companies For “New Charges” Required To Remediate Acid Waste At The McColl Site.

3. The Requirements Of The Avgas Contracts Were A “Substantial Causal” Factor In The Remediation Of Acid Waste At The McColl Site.

4.The Breach of Contract Damages Have Been Established With “Reasonable Certainty.”

a. The Oil Companies’ Proffer And Argument.

b. The Government’s Response.

c. The Oil Companies’ Reply.

d. The Court’s Resolution.

V. CONCLUSION.

COURT APPENDICES

COURT EXHIBIT A — The Record On Remand

COURT EXHIBIT B — Evidentiary Rulings Regarding Admissibility Of Exhibits And Written Direct Testimony

COURT EXHIBIT C

Plaintiffs’ Damages Exhibit 1

Plaintiffs’ Damages Exhibit 2

Plaintiffs’ Damages Exhibit 3

Plaintiffs’ Damages Exhibit 4

Plaintiffs’ Damages Exhibit 5

* * *

I. THE CRITICAL ROLE ASSUMED BY THE OIL COMPANIES DURING WORLD WAR II TO INCREASE PRODUCTION OF MILITARY AVIATION GASOLINE AND RELATED ACID WASTE DISPOSAL ISSUES (1940-1946). 1

In August 1940, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (“RFC”) established the *13 Defense Supplies Corporation (“DSC”) to buy, sell, and produce 100 octane military aviation gasoline (“avgas”) and make loans to private companies to construct avgas production facilities. DX 1054 (Dr. Brigham) at 18, 44. On August 16,1940, the DSC was authorized to spend $50 million to purchase avgas for resale to the United States Army and Navy. PX 1298 (9/27/40 letter from RFC to Secretary of Navy). 2

On March 11, 1941, the Lend-Lease Act was enacted to provide military supplies and equipment to Great Britain and other nations, at war with Germany, as well as to the Republic of China, at war with Japan. See An Act To Promote The Defense Of The United States, Pub L. No. 77-11, ch. 11, § 3, 55 Stat. 31, 31 (1941) (authorizing the Government to provide military supplies and equipment to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to defense of the United States”); see also H.R. Rept. No, 77-18, pt. 1, at 6-7 (1941) (same); H.R. Rept. No. 78-188, pt. 1, at 3-4 (1943) (reporting two years after the enactment of the Lend-Lease Act that the Government provided approximately $8.9 billion of military aid to 43 countries, including Great Britain, the Republic of China, and the Soviet Union).

In July 1941, the Office of the Petroleum Coordinator (“OPC”) sent telegrams to refining companies to ascertain them interest in and ability to increase the production of av-gas. DX 1064 (Dr.

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130 Fed. Cl. 8, 2017 U.S. Claims LEXIS 13, 2017 WL 75856, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shell-oil-company-v-united-states-uscfc-2017.