United States Ninth Circuit

Denial of defendant's motion to dismiss is affirmed where: 1) because CERCLA liability is triggered by an actual or threatened release of hazardous substances, and because a release of hazardous substances took place within the U.S., the suit at hand involved a domestic application of CERCLA; and 2) defendant-Canadian company's contention that it was not liable under a particular CERCLA provision because it disposed of hazardous substances itself is rejected.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/05/2005
• Decided 07/03/2006
• Published 07/05/2006

Judges

• GOULD, Circuit Judge:, Before: RONALD M. GOULD and MARSHA S. BERZON, Circuit Judges, and WILLIAM W SCHWARZER, District Judge.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Loren R. Dunn, Riddell Williams PS, Seattle, WA, for amici Washington Environmental Council, Washington, Public Interest Research Group, and Citizens for a Clean Columbia., Rex S. Heinke, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Los Angeles, CA, for amici Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Mining Association of Canada., Brian Hembacher, Deputy Attorney General, Los Angeles, CA, for amici People of the State of California ex rel. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General for the State of California, and the States of Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Oregon., Margaret K. Pfeiffer, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Washington, D.C., for amicus Government of Canada., Carter G. Phillips, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, Washington, D.C., for amicus Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America., Catherine E. Stetson, Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, D.C., for amici National Mining Association and the National Association of Manufacturers., Martin Wagner, Earthjustice, Oakland, CA, for amici Sierra Club and Sierra Club of Canada., Shannon D. Work, Funke & Work, Coeur d'Alene, ID, for amicus Spokane Tribe of Indians.


• For Appellees:
  
• Kevin M. Fong, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Francisco, CA, for defendant-appellant Teck Cominco Metals, Ltd., Richard A. Du Bey, Paul J. Dayton (argued) and Daniel F. Johnson, Short Cressman & Burgess PLLC, Seattle, WA, for plaintiffs-appellees Joseph A. Pakootas and Donald R. Michel., Alexandra K. Smith, Steven J. Thiele, and Kristie E. Carevich, Assistant Attorneys General, Washington State office of the Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for plaintiff/intervenor-appellee State of Washington., Rob Roy Smith, Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak & McGaw, Seattle, WA, for amicus Okanagan National Alliance in support of plaintiffs-appellees.