State of California v. United States

47 Fed. Cl. 688, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 194, 2000 WL 1429503
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedSeptember 26, 2000
DocketNo. 99-18C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 47 Fed. Cl. 688 (State of California 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
State of California v. United States, 47 Fed. Cl. 688, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 194, 2000 WL 1429503 (uscfc 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

HORN, Judge.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In the mid-1950s, the United States Department of the Interior and the State of [690]*690California both evaluated the expansion of their respective water projects in the Central Valley of California and began to discuss a joint project. The separate plans of both government entities proposed the same reservoir. The parties began discussions of a joint venture.

In response to these discussions Congress passed legislation that authorized the Secretary of Interior to begin formal negotiations with the State of California for the construction of a joint-use facility. See Central Valley Project — California, Act of June 3, 1960, Pub.L. No. 86-488, 74 Stat. 156 (1960) (hereafter, San Luis Act). The law provided that any agreement reached between the two parties would be subject to congressional review. San Luis Act § 2. The parties reached an agreement in late 1961 (the Contract), which, following hearings, Congress chose not to reject, allowing the project to proceed as it was negotiated. 87 Cong. Rec. 12435 (July 2, 1962) (statement of Sen. Miller). The United States proceeded to construct the San Luis Unit, a 102-mile canal that transports water from Northern California through the Central Valley to Southern California. The Canal was designed and constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (the Bureau). Construction was completed in 1967 and was then turned over to the State of California for operation. The Canal crosses the path of several transitory streams. In years of heavy rainfall, the Canal blocks the path of the streams and diverts the water onto neighboring landowners’ properties.

As provided for in Section 3(d) of the San Luis Act, the Contract has a provision that requires the United States and California to equitably share the annual costs of operations, maintenance, and replacement costs of joint use facilities. While the Act did not mention claims made by third parties against either the United States or California, the 1961 Contract and 1972 supplemental agreement thereto (the Supplement) did include provisions for such claims. Section 21 of the 1961 Contract states: “The United States and the State shall each pay annually an equitable share of the operation, maintenance, and replacement costs of the joint-use facilities, including claims paid by either party.” The Supplement provided that the state shall notify the United States of each accident or incident as a result of the operation of the joint or federal-only facilities. In the Supplement, the proportion of payments was set at 55 percent to be paid by the State of California and 45 percent to be paid by the United States. From 1969 until 1993, the United States and California reimbursed each other for their respective portion of flood claims paid in relation to the San Luis Canal without incident.

This suit arises from damages caused by a large storm in March 1995 that caused a flood and significant damage. Several affected landowners submitted claims for flood damages to both the State of California and the United States. In March 1996, the Bureau billed California for its 55 percent share of the flood claims settled by the Bureau in June 1995. Between 1997 and 1999, California paid several other flood claims related to the March 1995 floods. When California requested reimbursement, however, the Bureau informed California that the Bureau’s understanding was that the federal government was immune from liability for any flood related claims under the Flood Control Act of 1928, ch. 569, 45 Stat. 535 (codified at 33 U.S.C. § 702c (1994)), and that, therefore, the Bureau would no longer be refunding any portion of flood damage claims.

The Flood Control Act, which was enacted initially for the construction and maintenance of a flood control project along the Mississippi River and its tributaries in 1928, contains a broadly-worded provision limiting the liability of the United States for damage from floods or flood waters. The applicable provision states: “No liability of any kind shall attach to or rest upon the United States for any damage from or by floods or flood waters at any place....” 33 U.S.C. § 702c (1994).

As of November of 1999, California claims it has paid $5,335,600.00 in flood claims in which the Bureau has refused to share the cost. In addition, the State alleges it has incurred significant costs, amounting to $900,000.00, related to claims from the March 1995 floods. ' According to the plaintiff, the State continues to incur costs related to the 1995 claims as well as for claims filed subse[691]*691quently. California has filed suit in this court for 45 percent of the total of the value of the claims and the costs involved, for a total of approximately $2,806,000.00. Both parties have filed cross-motions for summary judgment and have stipulated that the sole issue presented for judgment is “whether the immunity provided under the Flood Control Act, 33 U.S.C. § 702c, extends to the 1961 Contract and the Supplement and thus provides the United States with immunity from liability under the Contract for a share of the cost of flood claims paid by the state.”

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment in this court should be granted only when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. RCFC 56 is patterned on Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and is similar both in language and effect. Both rules provide that summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

RCFC 56(c) provides that in order for a motion for summary judgment to be granted, the moving party must demonstrate that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Avenal v. United States, 100 F.3d 933, 936 (Fed.Cir. 1996), reh’g denied (1997); Creppel v. United States, 41 F.3d 627, 630-31 (Fed.Cir.1994); Meyers v. Asics Corp., 974 F.2d 1304, 1306 (Fed.Cir.1992); Lima Surgical Assocs., Inc. Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Ass’n Plan Trust v. United States, 20 Cl.Ct. 674, 679 (1990), aff'd, 944 F.2d 885 (Fed.Cir.1991). A fact is material if it will make a difference in the result of a case. Curtis v. United States, 144 Ct.Cl. 194, 199, 168 F.Supp. 213, 216 (1958), cert. denied, 361 U.S. 843, 80 S.Ct. 94, 4 L.Ed.2d 81 (1959), reh’g denied, 361 U.S. 941, 80 S.Ct. 375, 4 L.Ed.2d 361 (1960). Summary judgment “saves the expense and time of a full trial when it is unnecessary.

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Related

State of California v. United States
271 F.3d 1377 (Federal Circuit, 2001)

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Bluebook (online)
47 Fed. Cl. 688, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 194, 2000 WL 1429503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-california-v-united-states-uscfc-2000.