Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc.
| Decision Date | 05 November 1992 |
| Docket Number | No. 89-C-834.,89-C-834. |
| Citation | 812 F. Supp. 1498 |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Wisconsin |
| Parties | ACME PRINTING INK COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, Plaintiff, v. MENARD, INC., a Wisconsin corporation; Ed's Masonry and Trucking, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Edward J. Fadrowski; Anthony Ivancich; Bel-Aire Enterprises, Concrete Contractors, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Brey's Saw Shop, a partnership; Dan Brey; Max Brey; Cambridge Chemical, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Cardinal Fabricating Corp., a Wisconsin corporation; Chromium, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, John A. Davis, Jr.; Commercial Heat Treating, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Herb Engel Realty Co., Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Hartwig, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, d/b/a Hartwig Exhibitions; Helmut's Building Service, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Kramer Brass Foundry, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Dennis J. Cortte, d/b/a Layton Motor Sales; Jerry Lesperance, d/b/a Lesperance Construction; Lincoln Savings Bank, S.A., f/k/a Lincoln Savings & Loan Association, a Wisconsin chartered savings and loan association; Vernin Tretow, d/b/a Loomis Center Garage; Lubricants, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Richard W. Drexler; Robert Howell; Miller Tilt-Top Trailer, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Lewis Miller; Robert Bera; Pemper Engineering Co., Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Frank Povlick, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Charles E. Rickheim; Service Painting Corp., a Wisconsin corporation; Sun Control Corporation, a/k/a Milwaukee Venetian Blind Co., a Wisconsin corporation; Supreme Casting, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Texaco, Inc., a foreign corporation; Wauwatosa Savings & Loan, a loan association; Williams Petroleum, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation; Ranger Insurance Company, a Delaware corporation; Defendants, v. TRAVELERS COMPANIES, INC., a Connecticut corporation and Home Insurance Co., Inc., a New Hampshire corporation, Third Party Defendants, and CAMBRIDGE CHEMICAL, INC., a Wisconsin corporation, Third Party Plaintiff, v. HARTFORD ACCIDENT & INDEMNITY CO., a Connecticut corporation, Third Party Defendant. |
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED
William S. Roush, Jr., Ted A. Warpinski, Friebert, Finerty & St. John, Milwaukee, WI, for plaintiff.
Robert W. Corey, Menard, Inc. Legal Dept., Eau Claire, WI, Michael D. Fischer, Michael D. Flanagan, Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee, WI, for Menard, Inc.
Edward R. Cameron, Milwaukee, WI, for Ed's Masonry and Trucking Edward J. Fadrowski deceased.
Anthony Ivancich, pro se.
Timothy J. Strattner, Schellinger & Doyle, Brookfield, WI, for Bel-Aire Enterprises Concrete Contractors, Inc.
Bruce C. O'Neill, Fox, Carpenter, O'Neill & Shannon, Milwaukee, WI, for Cambridge Chemical, Inc. Daniel M. Leep, McNally, Maloney & Peterson, Milwaukee, WI, for Cardinal Fabricating Corp. and Robert Howell.
William Wiseman, O'Neil, Cannon & Hollman, Milwaukee, WI, for Chromium, Inc.
James A. Baxter, Mitchell, Baxter & Zieger, Milwaukee, WI, for Kramer Brass Foundry, Inc.
William H. Harbeck, Quarles & Brady, Milwaukee, WI, for John A. Davis, Jr.
Steve Enich, Charles Johnson, Milwaukee, WI, for Commercial Heat Treating.
Herb Engel Realty Co., pro se.
Raymond J. Pollen, Riordan, Crivello, Carlson, Mentkowski & Steeves, Milwaukee, WI, for Hartwig, Inc. d/b/a Hartwig Exhibitions.
Stuart B. Eiche, Schulz, Schapekahm & Eiche, Milwaukee, WI, for Helmut's Building Service.
John A. Fiorenza, John P. Hayes, Fiorenza & Hayes, Milwaukee, WI, for Williams Petroleum.
Michael P. Carlton, von Briesen & Purtell, Milwaukee, WI, for Dennis J. Cortte d/b/a Layton Motor Sales.
Michael W. Rohr, Krawczyk & Duginski, Milwaukee, WI, for Lincoln Sav. Bank and Pemper Engineering Co.
Tom Duggan, John T. Lynch, Duggan, Lynch & Fons, Greenfield, WI, for Vernin Tretow d/b/a Loomis Center Garage.
Richard Drexler, Lubricants, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, for Lubricants, Inc.
Thomas S. Sommers, Sommers & Sommers, Milwaukee, WI, for Richard W. Drexler.
David V. Meany, Michael, Best & Friedrich, Milwaukee, WI, for Service Painting Corp.
Richard E. Schmidt, Fellows, Piper & Schmidt, Milwaukee, WI, for Frank Povlick, Inc.
Michael P. Dunn, Davis & Kuelthau, Milwaukee, WI, for Supreme Casting, Inc.
Jeffrey P. Clark, Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, Milwaukee, WI, for Texaco.
Michael Pfau, Thomas Schrimpf, Hinshaw & Culbertson, Milwaukee, WI, for Ranger Ins. Co.
Richard M. Hagstrom, Zelle & Larson, Minneapolis, MN, Michael R. Wherry, Davis & Kuelthau, Milwaukee, WI, for Employers Ins. of Wausau.
Ralph A. Weber, Kravit, Gass & Weber, Milwaukee, WI, for The Travelers Companies, Inc. and The Home Ins. Co.
Lawrence K. Rynning, Williams & Montgomery, Ltd., Chicago, IL, for Home Ins. Co.
Paul J. Pytlik, Otjen, Van Ert, Stangle, Lieb & Weir, Milwaukee, WI, for Hartford Acc. & Indem.
Jeffrey Leavell, Capwell, Berthelsen, Nolden, Casanova, Pitts, Kallenbach, Ltd., Racine, WI, for Waukesha Rubber Co.
DECISION AND ORDER
This lawsuit concerns the investigation and potential cleanup of a former landfill in Franklin, Wisconsin (the "Site"), which the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has listed on the National Priorities List ("NPL") established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), 42 U.S.C. ? 9601, et seq. Plaintiff, Acme Printing Ink Company ("Acme"), is one of a number of companies and persons who may have generated waste that has been disposed of at the Site.
Pursuant to CERCLA ? 122(a) and (d)(3), 42 U.S.C. ? 9622(a) and (d)(3), Acme entered into an Administrative Order by Consent (the "Consent Order") with the EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ("DNR"). Pursuant to the Consent Order, Acme agreed to conduct a Remedial Investigation ("RI") to determine to what extent any hazardous substances have been released at the Site and a Feasibility Study ("FS" and, together with the RI, a "RI/FS") to evaluate alternatives for any removal or cleanup that may be necessary.
Acme brought this action against Menard, Inc. ("Menard"), the current owner of the Site, and numerous other defendants whom Acme believes share responsibility for any hazardous conditions at the Site. Now before this Court is: (1) defendant Cambridge Chemical, Inc., et al.'s (the "Cambridge defendants") Motion to Dismiss; (2) Texaco's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment; (3) Wausau's Motion to Dismiss; (4) Reliance's Motion to Dismiss Counterclaims; (5) Acme's Motion to Strike Pleadings and for Default Judgment for Failure to Answer Interrogatories; and (6) Acme's Motion to Strike and Exclude the Prior Deposition Testimony of Edward Fadrowski.1
From approximately 1970 until 1983, Edward J. Fadrowski, owner of Ed's Trucking, owned the property on which the Site is located. During this period, hazardous waste and solid waste containing hazardous constituents, pollutants and contaminants were disposed of at the Site.
In 1983, Menard purchased the property on which the Site is located with knowledge that the property had previously been used for waste disposal. As part of the purchase contract, Menard agreed to allow Mr. Fadrowski to continue to use the Site for waste disposal. Beginning in 1983 and continuing for an undetermined period thereafter, Menard excavated areas of the Site in connection with the construction of a Menard Cashway Lumber Store on the property adjacent to the Site. During the excavation, Menard exposed hazardous waste which had been buried at the Site and generated additional hazardous waste by mixing and commingling hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
Menard's excavation of the Site caused the release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants from the previously disposed hazardous and solid waste. Menard then illegally disposed of the additional quantities of hazardous waste and waste containing hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants generated during the excavation of the Site. Menard reburied and/or abandoned the waste without a permit or license from the DNR or the EPA.
A sampling analysis by the DNR during Menard's excavation of the Site identified the presence and release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants within the meaning of CERCLA ?? 101(14) and (33), 42 U.S.C. ? 9601(14) and (33). The release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants in the Site created an imminent and substantial threat to human health and/or the environment.
Based on the results of the EPA and DNR investigations, the Site was nominated for and placed on the NPL in May 1986, pursuant to CERCLA ? 105, 42 U.S.C. ? 9605. In placing the Site on the NPL, the EPA took into account such factors as the population at risk, the threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants at the Site, the possible contamination of drinking water supplies and the destruction of sensitive ecosystems.
In May 1987, EPA and DNR entered into the Consent Order with Acme. Pursuant to the Consent Order, Acme agreed to conduct: (1) a RI in accordance with the terms of the National Contingency Plan ("NCP"), to determine fully the nature and extent of the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants from the Site; and (2) a FS in accordance with the NCP to identify and evaluate alternative forms of appropriate remedial action to prevent or mitigate the migration of the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants at the Site. The estimated cost of the RI/FS plus other reimbursable Site costs incurred by EPA and DNR exceeds $600,000.00.
In Acme's Complaint, plaintiff alleges ten (10) claims for relief. However, the Cambridge defend...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Miami-Dade County, Fla. v. U.S.
...EPA or a state has acted to address the alleged endangerment. 42 U.S.C. § 6972(b)(2)(B). See generally Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc., 812 F.Supp. 1498, 1506-09 (E.D.Wis.1992); McGregor v. Indus. Excess Landfill, Inc., 709 F.Supp. 1401, 1407-08 (N.D.Ohio 1987). Specifically, section ......
-
Board of County Com'Rs v. Brown Group Retail, Inc.
...which has created and presents an imminent or substantial endangerment to the public health or the environment." See Acme Printing, 812 F.Supp. 1498, 1512 (E.D.Wis.1992). This language indicates the claim was actually alleged under Section 6972(a)(1)(B), which allows suit against any person......
-
INTERFAITH COMMUNITY ORGAN. v. AlliedSignal, Inc.
...has obtained a court order or issued an administrative or consent order under section 7003 of RCRA or section 106 of CERCLA. 812 F.Supp. 1498, 1507 (E.D.Wis. 1992). A consent order issued under section 122 of CERCLA, a section of CERCLA not enumerated in the RCRA preclusion provision, does ......
-
People v. Thoro Products Co., Inc.
...in violation" language in the Clean Water Act requires a showing of an ongoing or intermittent violation); Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc., 812 F.Supp. 1498, 1511 (E.D.Wis.1992) (noting that "every court that has analyzed [RCRA] section 7002 in the wake of Gwaltney has concluded that ......
-
RCRA Permits
...air scrubbers that leaked into groundwater constitute continuing disposal of hazardous waste); Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc., 812 F. Supp. 1498, 1512, 23 ELR 21061 (E.D. Wis. 1992) (“RCRA includes in its broad deinition of ‘disposal’ the continuous leaking of hazardous substances.”)......
-
Specific Environmental Statutes
...violation); Gache v. Town of Harrison, N.Y. , 813 F. Supp. 1037, 1042 (S.D.N.Y. 1993) (same); Acme Printing Ink Co. v. Menard, Inc., 812 F. Supp. 1498, 1512 (E.D. Wis. 1992) (leaking of hazardous substances may constitute a continuous or intermittent violation); United States v. Conservatio......