Kirchmann v. U.S.

• Decision Date: 02 November 1993
• Docket Number: No. 93-1015,93-1015
• Citation: 8 F.3d 1273
• Parties: , 62 USLW 2307, 24 Envtl. L. Rep. 20,189 John W. KIRCHMANN; Lene J. Kirchmann; Julie A. Kirchmann, by and through John W. Kirchmann, Her Father and Next Friend; Tricia J. Kirchmann; and Michael J. Kirchmann, by and through John W. Kirchmann, His Father and Next Friend, Appellants, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

Page 1273

8 F.3d 1273

37 ERC 2089, 62 USLW 2307, 24 Envtl.

L. Rep. 20,189

John W. KIRCHMANN; Lene J. Kirchmann; Julie A. Kirchmann, by and through John W. Kirchmann, Her Father and Next Friend Tricia J. Kirchmann; and Michael J. Kirchmann, by and through John W. Kirchmann, His Father and Next Friend, Appellants, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.

No. 93-1015.

United States Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit.

Submitted Sept. 13, 1993.

Decided Nov. 2, 1993.

William Brown, Omaha, NE, argued (James Brown, on the brief), for appellant.

Adam Bain, Washington, DC, argued (Paul M. Honigberg and Daniel C. Cox, on the brief), for appellee.

Before McMILLIAN, WOLLMAN, and MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judges.

MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judge.

John Kirchmann and his family appeal an order dismissing their lawsuit against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The trial court held that the action was barred by either the independent contractor exception, the discretionary function exception, or both. We affirm the trial court. ¹

I.

In 1959, the Air Force decided to build an Atlas missile facility near Mead, Nebraska, adjacent to the Kirchmanns' farm. General Dynamics was the contractor; H.K. Ferguson was the main subcontractor for mechanical and electrical work. In constructing the missile itself, employees of General Dynamics and H.K. Ferguson used a chemical solvent, trichloroethylene (TCE), to clean missile parts. The TCE was disposed of in the sanitary sewer system and on the ground. No one disputes that TCE is toxic, and was known to be toxic at that time, and that its disposal should be considered disposal of hazardous waste. Construction of the missile facility was finished in 1961.

In 1989, the Kirchmanns learned from the Army Corps of Engineers that the TCE disposed of at the missile site had contaminated the groundwater at their farm. In 1991, the Kirchmanns sued the federal government, asserting claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), see 28 U.S.C. § 1346(b), §§ 2671-2680. Specifically, the Kirchmanns contended that the Air Force exercised such day-to-day control over the work on the project that the employees of General Dynamics and H.K. Ferguson were essentially acting as government employees; the Kirchmanns further contended that the Air Force itself was negligent in its failure to supervise adequately the disposal of the TCE used in the project.

The government moved for dismissal, asserting that the court lacked jurisdiction because of the independent contractor exception, see 28 U.S.C. § 2671, and the discretionary function exception, see 28 U.S.C. § 2680(a), to the FTCA. After trial to the court on a stipulated record with respect to the question of jurisdiction, the trial court granted the motion, holding that "the evidence shows that the government was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the construction of the Atlas missile sites ... [and therefore that] the construction contractors were independent contractors and cannot be considered employees of the federal government for purposes of the FTCA."

In the alternative, the trial court noted, "only one of the [government] regulations cited by [the Kirchmanns] regulates the Air Force in monitoring contractor activity." Even that regulation, however, expressly excludes from its scope the disposal of hazardous waste. Under those circumstances, the trial court stated, any supervision or lack of it by the Air Force of the disposal of hazardous waste was discretionary on the part of the Air Force and had to be presumed to have been "grounded in a policy decision." The evidence was, in fact, the trial court held, "that the Air Force decision to allow its commanders flexibility in dealing with [the] contractors [at the Atlas missile site] ... was grounded in policy considerations, such as the rationing of limited resources and skilled personnel." For that reason, the trial court declared, the discretionary function exception to the FTCA also barred the action.

II.

The Federal Tort Claims Act allows suits against the United States for "money damages ... for injury or loss of property, or personal injury ... caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the Government while acting within the scope of his office or employment, under circumstances where the United States, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant in accordance with the law of the place where the act or omission occurred." See 28 U.S.C. § 1346(b); see also 28 U.S.C. § 2674. " 'Employee of the government' includes ... employees of any federal agency, members of the military ... forces of the United States, ... and persons acting on behalf of a federal agency in an official capacity." See 28 U.S.C. § 2671. " 'Federal agency' includes the executive departments, ... the military departments, ... and corporations primarily acting as instrumentalities or agencies of the United States, but does not include any contractor with the United States." Id.

Courts interpreting the statute have held that, in some instances, the government may exercise such pervasive control over the work done by the employees of an independent contractor as to transform those employees essentially into government employees for purposes of the FTCA. See, e.g., State of Maryland v. Manor Real Estate and Trust Co., 176 F.2d 414, 419 (4th Cir.1949). The critical question is whether the government has asserted the power "to control the detailed physical performance of the contractor." Logue v. United States, 412 U.S. 521, 527-28, 93 S.Ct. 2215, 2219, 37 L.Ed.2d 121 (1973). See also id. at 530, 93 S.Ct. 2215; United States v. Orleans, 425 U.S. 807, 814, 96 S.Ct. 1971, 1976, 48 L.Ed.2d 390 (1976); and Charlima, Inc. v. United States, 873 F.2d 1078, 1080-81 (8th Cir.1989).

In its opinion dismissing the Kirchmanns' case, the trial court held that the Air Force did not exercise such pervasive day-to-day control over the employees of General Dynamics and H.K. Ferguson in the disposal of hazardous waste at the missile site as to allow those employees to be considered government employees for purposes of the FTCA. In reaching that conclusion, the trial court evaluated the evidence presented to it by the parties, which included magazine articles about the missile site construction; internal government memos and reports with regard to the progress of the project; performance evaluations of Air Force personnel involved in the project; affidavits and depositions from a university chemist and employees of General Dynamics, H.K. Ferguson, and subcontractors; and various regulations and specifications allegedly relevant to the project.

We have reviewed all of the exhibits submitted by the Kirchmanns. We hold that the trial court did not clearly err in concluding that the Air Force did not exercise the kind of day-to-day control over the physical performance of the employees of General Dynamics and H.K. Ferguson in the disposal of hazardous waste at the missile site that would allow them to be considered government employees for purposes of the FTCA. See, e.g., Parrish v. Omaha Public Power District, 242 Neb. 783, 496 N.W.2d 902, 909-10, 912 (1993), and Petznick v. United States, 575 F.Supp. 698, 704 (D.Neb.1983). See also McMichael v. United States, 856 F.2d 1026, 1034-35 (8th Cir.1988).

III.

The Kirchmanns argue that even if the government did not exercise sufficient control over the independent contractors' employees for them to be considered government employees under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the government may still be liable for the acts of those workers under Nebraska common law. The Kirchmanns cite specifically the state common-law rule that the employer of an independent contractor whose work involves "special risks or dangers," Parrish v. Omaha Public Power District, 242 Neb. 783, 496 N.W.2d 902, 911 (1993), is liable for personal injuries suffered by others as a result of that work if the employer fails to take reasonable precautions to prevent such injuries. This rule applies even where the employer has purported to delegate to the contractor, by the terms of the contract or otherwise, the responsibility for preventing injuries consequent to the work. See, e.g., id. 496 N.W.2d at 911, 913, and Petznick v. United States, 575 F.Supp. 698, 704 (D.Neb.1983). See also Madison v. United States, 679 F.2d 736, 740-41 (8th Cir.1982). The liability of the employer in those circumstances is direct and not vicarious through the contractor. See, e.g., Parrish, 496 N.W.2d at 911, and Madison, 679 F.2d at 740-41.

Even so, however, the Nebraska common-law rule requires that the employer (in this case, the government) have been negligent. We turn, then, to the question of whether the terms of the FTCA bar a negligence claim based on that or any other theory.

IV.

A.

The Federal Tort Claims Act specifically excludes from its coverage any claim "based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the Government, whether or not the discretion involved be abused." See 28 U.S.C. § 2680(a). Our initial inquiry in cases implicating the discretionary exception function is "whether the challenged actions were ... controlled by mandatory statutes or regulations." United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. 315, 328, 111 S.Ct. 1267, 1277, 113 L.Ed.2d 335 (1991). See also Berkovitz v. United States, 486 U.S. 531, 536, 544, 108 S.Ct. 1954, 1958, 1963, 100 L.Ed.2d 531 (1988), and McMichael v. United States, 856 F.2d 1026, 1031-32 (8th Cir.1988). If so, and if a government employee has violated a statute or regulation, "there will be no shelter from liability because there is no room for choice and the action will be contrary to [established governmental] policy." United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. at 324, 111 S.Ct. at 1274. See also Berkovitz, 486 U.S. at 536, 546-47,...