United States v. Conservation Chemical Co.

653 F. Supp. 152
District Court, W.D. Missouri·Decided September 17, 1986·No. 82-0983-CV-W-5·Published·Cited by 69 cases

Opinion

ORDER

SCOTT O. WRIGHT, Chief Judge.

On June 27, 1985, the Special Master filed a report issuing recommendations concerning the appropriate disposition of twenty-two motions and cross-motions for summary judgment and partial summary judgment. As required, the Court has independently reviewed the record regarding the issues relating to the Master’s report, including the relevant motions and responses thereto, and the objections filed to the report. See United States v. Louisiana, 470 U.S. 93,105 S.Ct. 1074,1080, 84 L.Ed.2d 73 (1985). Accordingly, the Court vacates its Order of July 10, 1986 and enters the following rulings nunc pro tunc * in summary form and, with respect to those recommendations approved by the Court, the Court adopts the reasoning stated in the Master’s report in support of those recommendations. Recommendations of the Master not adopted by the Court will be so designated.

1. CHOICE OF LAW—

a. Contracts — substantive law of Missouri will apply to all questions involving formation, construction or interpretation of the insurance policies, except for those policies which contain a choice of law provision. There the law of the state chosen will control.

b. Torts — substantive law of Missouri will apply to any claims sounding in tort.

c. Generally — where Missouri has not established, by statute or decision, a particular issue, general principles of insurance law will be applied.

*159 2. AFTER LITIGATION INSURANCE—

As a matter of law, no “occurrence” took place after September 29, 1980 — the date the government instituted suit.

Accordingly, summary judgment is

(a) Granted in favor of Centaur Insurance Co. on the claims of CCC, CCCI, Hjersted, Armco, AT & T-TI, FMC, IBM, Sperry and Murray-Ohio 1 on each of the three policies issued by Centaur after September 29, 1980;

(b) Granted in favor of Central National on the claims of CCC, CCCI, Hjersted, Armco, AT & T-TI, FMC, and IBM;

(c) Granted in favor of each third-party defendant insurer issuing a policy to CCC, CCCI and/or Hjersted after September 29, 1980. 2

3. CLAIMS MADE POLICIES—

As a matter of law, claim must be made within the policy period of the relevant “claims-made” policy for coverage to be afforded.

Accordingly, summary judgment is

(a) Denied as to Lincoln Insurance Co.’s motion on the basis of the “claims-made” policy provision;

(b) Granted as to Evanston’s 1985 policy, but denied on the basis of the claims-made policy provision;

(c) Denied as to Mutual Fire’s motion on the basis of the claims-made policy provision.

4. FAILURE TO SETTLE—

There is no issue as to any material fact existing with respect to the claim for bad faith refusal to settle pleaded in Count III of the OGD’s third-amended third-party complaint.

Accordingly, summary judgment is granted in favor of each of the 16 Third-party Defendant Insurers on Count III of the OGD’s Third Amended Third-Party Complaint.

5. ISSUANCE DELIVERY AND PAYMENT—

(a) As to the Original Generator Defendants, partial summary judgment is

(1) Granted on the issues of issuance, delivery and payment of insurance policies against Central National, Home, American Fidelity, and Continental;

(ii) Granted on the single issue of issuance of insurance policies against Centaur, Evanston, Mutual Fire, Foremost, and Lincoln.

(iii) Over the recommendation of the Special Master, summary judgment is additionally granted on issues of delivery and payment regarding the policies against the same companies as listed in (ii) above.

(b) As to the Site Operator Defendants, partial summary judgment is

(i) Granted on the issues of issuance, delivery and payment as to CCCI and Hjerst-ed over the recommendation of the Special Master;

(ii) Granted on the issues of issuance, delivery and payment by CCC with respect to Central National, Home, American Fidelity, and Continental;

(iii) Over the recommendation of the Special Master, summary judgment is additionally granted as to the issues of delivery and payment by CCC regarding Centaur, Evanston, Mutual Fire, Foremost, and Lincoln.

6. “PROPERTY DAMAGE” UNDER CGL POLICIES—

As to the Original Generator Defendants, partial summary judgment is granted on the specific issues that:

(a) Environmental harm associated with the CCC site constitutes “property damage” as such term is used and defined in *160 the CGL insurance policies issued and delivered to CCC;

(b) Cleanup costs arising out of the environmental harm caused by the discharge, dispersal, release or escape of toxic chemicals and waste material constitutes “damage” as that term is used in the CGL policies issued and delivered to, CCC;

(c) Alleged economic losses in the form of response and cleanup costs sought by the United States constituid damage caused by or arising out of the environmental harm for purposes of the CGL insurance policies issued and delivered to CCC.

7. OCCURRENCES—

A question of fact remains as to when disposal of waste materials first commenced, when leaking first occurred, or when damage to the environment was first discovered. A further question remains as to the Site Operators’ objective or subjective knowledge 3 that there was a substantial probability that environmental harm would result from their activities.

Accordingly, summary judgment is denied as to the various insurers’ motions on the issue that CCC expected and intended harm to result from its operations.

8. OWNED PROPERTY EXCLUSION—

While the “owned property exclusion” cannot apply to percolating ground water under the CCC site, there remains a question of fact as to what portion of the remedy relates solely to damage to the CCC site itself.

Accordingly, summary judgment is denied as to the motion of Armco, AT & T-TI and FMC on the issue that the owned property defenses are inadequate as a matter of law to bar coverage for remedial measures being undertaken at the CCC site.

9. THE POLLUTION EXCLUSION—

Questions of fact remain concerning the ambiguity of this exclusion clause. Further questions remain as to whether the pollution was sudden and accidental, and whether Hjersted had intent to cause harm.

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United States v. Conservation Chemical Co., 653 F. Supp. 152 (W.D. Mo. 1986).

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