GUTHRIE v. ALABAMA BY PRODUCTS COMPANY (1972)

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

T. W. GUTHRIE et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. ALABAMA BY-PRODUCTS COMPANY et al., Defendants-Appellees.

No. 71-2498

Decided: March 28, 1972

Before THORNBERRY, COLEMAN and INGRAHAM, Circuit Judges.

Roscoe B. Hogan, Frank M. Bainbridge, L. Drew Redden, Charles E. Clark, Bainbridge & Mims, Birmingham, Ala., for plaintiffs-appellants. Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner & Clark, L. Murray Alley, Fournier J. Gale, III, Thomas, Taliaferro, Forman, Burr & Murray, Robert G. Tate, Birmingham, Ala., Rushton, Stokely, Johnston & Garrett, J. M. Williams, Jr., Montgomery, Ala., Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, Birmingham, Ala., Volz, Copauano, Wampold & Prestwood, William B. Moore, Jr., Charles H. Volz, Jr., Montgomery, Ala., E. M. Ziedman, Birmingham, Ala., Huie, Fernambucq & Stewart, W. B. Fernambucq, Macbeth Wagnon, Jr., John H. Morrow, John D. Clements, Birmingham, Ala., for defendants-appellees.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the district court dismissing appellants' complaint for want of federal question or diversity jurisdiction. Appellants primarily complain of the district court's holding that a private civil action brought by individuals damaged by defendants' polluting certain streams and rivers did not state a federal right of action or supply federal question jurisdiction pursuant to the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C.A. § 407, unless defendants' conduct constituted an interference with navigation by which plaintiffs were injured. We affirm on the basis of the district court's well-reasoned opinion, reported at 328 F.Supp. 1140.

Affirmed.

PER CURIAM:

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