United States Third Circuit

The "laboratory error" defense is not inconsistent with the Clean Water Act's regime of strict liability; district court erred in adopting a 12.73% interest rate to calculate the economic benefit to defendant of its improper discharges.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/16/2003
• Decided 04/28/2004
• Published 04/28/2004

Judges

• Before ALITO, FUENTES and BECKER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• H. Woodruff Turner (Argued), John E. Beard, III, Thomas J. Smith, Todd R. Brown, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, LLP, Pittsburgh, PA, for Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Thomas L. Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General, John T. Stahr, Nancy Flickinger, Robert H. Miller, John Sither, Kathryn E. Kovacs (Argued), U.S. Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Division, Appellate Section, Washington, DC, Kerry Nelson, Lori G. Kier, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Counsel, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee.