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Environmental, Energy and Climate Change Law & Regulation Reporter

PENALTIES AND SANCTIONS

Recent Investigations, Settlements, Penalties and Sanctions3

RECENT FEDERAL DECISIONS

Circuit Court of Appeals:

Eleventh Circuit Reverses District Court’s Dismissal of Groundwater Contamination Toxic Tort Claims and Criticizes the Use of Lone Pine

Orders7

Adinolfe v. United Technologies Corp., ___F.3d___, Case No. 12-16396 (11th Cir. Oct. 6, 2014).

Federal Circuit Finds Industry Groups Lack Standing to Challenge Regulation Permitting U.S. Sales of Gasoline Blends Containing Up to Fifteen Percent Ethanol9

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, et. al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ___F.3d___, Case No. 11-1334 (D.C. Cir. Oct. 21, 2014).

Eleventh Circuit Finds CERCLA’s Discovery Rule Does Not Preempt State’s Statute of Repose, but Disallows Retroactive Application of State’s Amendments to Statute11

Bryant et al. v. U.S., 768 F.3d 1378 (11th Cir. Oct. 2014).

Ninth Circuit Upholds Ban on Hovercraft Use on State Owned Waters Subject to Federal Lands Conservation Act13

Sturgeon v. Masica, ___F.3d___, Case No. 13-36165 (9th Cir. Oct. 6, 2014).

Seventh Circuit Revives Apportionment Defense, Potentially Limiting Joint and Several CERCLA Liability14

U.S. v. P.H. Glatfelter Co., ___F.3d___, Case No. 13-2436 (7th Cir. 2014).

Tenth Circuit Upholds Regional Cap-And-Trade Program to Improve Visibility over the Grand

Canyon16

WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ___F.3d___, Case No. 12-9596 (10th Cir. Oct. 21, 2014).

District Court:

District Court Finds Progress Energy’s Claims under Section 113(F) of CERCLA Are Barred by the Applicable Statute of Limitations18

Florida Power Corporation, dba Progress Energy Florida Inc. v. First Energy Corp., ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. 1:12CV1839 (N.D. Ohio Oct. 10, 2014).

District Court Allows Clean Water Act Claims to Rely on Proxy to Establish the Discharge without Direct Evidence of the Pollutants Discharged20

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Inc. et al. v. Fola Coal Company, LLC, ___F.Supp.2d___, Case No. 2:13-CV-5006 (S.D. W.Va. Sept. 30, 2014).

District Court Holds Lessee Defendants Did Not Possess ‘A Priority of Rights and Claims’ to Be Liable as a De Facto Owner under CERCLA22

Next Millennium Realty, LLC, and 101 Frost Street Associates v. Adchem Corp. et al., ___F.Supp2d___, Case No. cv 03-5985 (E.D. N.Y. Oct. 22, 2014).

District Court Finds CERCLA’s Three-Year Removal Statute of Limitations Includes ‘Assessment and Monitoring’ Time, Albeit Performed Slowly24

U.S. v. Richard Middleton, ___F.Supp.2d___, Case No. 11-cv-127 (M.D. Ga. Sept. 30, 2014).