LSI 2010 NRD Santa Fe final conference binder 072110.pdf
LSI 2010 NRD Santa Fe final conference binder 072110.pdf LSI 2010 NRD Santa Fe final conference binder 072110.pdf
Richard O. Curley, Jr. of Curley & Associates LLC Speaker 7: 2 However,thatignoresthepointthatitisintheeventofsuchlargespillsorreleases,when passionsflare,thatacooperativeassessmentwithoutbullyingfrompoliticiansismostneeded. Evenifitistruethatthesituationsarefewandfarbetweeninwhichpoliticalfactors overrideormasktrustees’supportforthecooperativeassessmentapproach,PRPsarestill facedwiththelongstandingquestionofwhether“cooperation”beginsandendswiththePRPs writingachecktofundapartorallofthetrustee(s)’NRDA.Toensurethatthereismeatonthe bonesofacooperativeassessment,PRPsmustensurethattheyhaveanagreementwith trusteesthatlinksPRPfundingofthetrustees’NRDAtorealcooperationonthepartofthe trustees.SuchcooperationincludesmeaningfulPRPparticipationinthedesign, implementationandinterpretationofNRDAstudies.Inordertoensurethattrustee cooperationcontinuesbeyondtheinitialstagesofassessment,PRPsshouldmakecooperative assessmentpaymentsonaninstallmentbasiscontingentupontheassessmentprogressingina cooperativemannerratherthanpayingtheentireprojectedcostoftheassessmentupfront. Many,ifnotmost,trusteesunderstandtheneedforPRPstoinsistonsuchprovisionsandalso understandtheneedtoletbothPRPsortrusteesterminatecooperativeassessment agreementsatwill(subjecttoreasonablenoticeandcompletion/fundingofworkthathas alreadybeeninitiatedonacooperativebasis).PRPsshouldbewaryofenteringintoany cooperativeassessmentagreementthatdoesnotallowanyofthepartiestoterminatethe agreementattheirsolediscretion. MISSINGTHEBOATVS.THECARTBEFORETHEHORSE NRDpractitionersneedtobemindfulofthefactthattheappropriatetimingof cooperativeassessmentsmayvarygreatlydependinguponwhetheroneisdealingwithanoil spillunderOPA(ortheCleanWaterAct)oralegacysiteunderCERCLA(oranequivalentstate statute).Inthecaseofmanyoilspills,theneedforandopportunitytoconductacooperative assessmentarisesalmostimmediatelyupontheoccurrenceofthespillduetotheneedto collectbaselineinformationandtorecordtheeffectsofthespillandresponseactivitieswhose durationisusuallymeasuredinweeks,monthsoratmostafewyears.Forthoseandother reasons,bothPRPsandtrusteesoftenmoveveryquicklytoagreeoninitialcooperativesteps includingcoordinationofdatacollectionandinitialPRPfundingsoastopreservethe advantagesforallpartiesofinitiatingcoordinatedandcooperativeeffortsearlyoninthe processofspillresponseandnaturalresourcedamageassessment. Conversely,inthecaseofmanynaturalresourcedamagesassessmentsforsites regulatedunderCERCLAandsimilarstatelaws,speedinenteringintoacooperativeassessment maynotjustbeunnecessary,itmaybecounterproductive.Movingquicklytoenterintoa COOPERATIVENRDAS:FACTORFICTION? Page2 Law Seminars International | Natural Resource Damages | 07/15/10 in Santa Fe, NM
Richard O. Curley, Jr. of Curley & Associates LLC Speaker 7: 3 cooperativeassessmentintheCERCLAcontextisoftenunnecessarybecauseoftheslow (sometimesglaciallyslow)paceofsitecharacterizationandsiteremediationactivities. Likewise,determiningbaselineatmostCERCLAsitesisusuallyacomplex,timeconsuming undertakinginvolvingnotjustcurrentsamplingofnaturalresources,butthecompilationof historicandenvironmentalinformationcoveringprioryearsorevendecadesofanthropogenic andnaturalevents.Suchbaselineworkshouldnotberushedorgivenshortshriftforthesake ofexpeditingacooperativeprocess.Giventhatrestorationdamagesarerecoverableforonly theresidualinjuriesexistingafterthecompletionofremediation(andanynaturalrecovery) rushingintoacooperativeassessmentyearsorevendecadesbeforeaCERCLAremedyhas beenimplementedoftenisnotonlyunnecessarybutcounterproductive.Moreover,bothPRPs andtrusteesshouldcarefullyconsiderthetimingofacooperativeNRDAatanyCERCLAsite wheretheRI/FShasnotyetbeencompleted.Section113(g)ofCERCLAprovidesthat: Innoeventmayanactionfordamagesunderthischapterwithrespecttosucha vesselorfacilitybecommenced(i)priorto60daysaftertheFederalorState naturalresourcetrusteeprovidestothePresidentandthepotentially responsiblepartyanoticeofintenttofilesuit,or(ii)beforeselectionofthe remedialactionifthePresidentisdiligentlyproceedingwitharemedial investigationandfeasibilitystudyundersection9604(b)ofthistitleorsection 9620ofthistitle(relatingtoFederalfacilities).[Emphasisadded.] ConductinganNRDA–evenacooperativeone–monthsoryearsbeforeaclaimmaybe broughtwillusuallynotmakesenseforbothpracticalandstrategicreasons. RELATIONSHIPSAMONGCOOPERATIVEASSESSMENTS,SETTLEMENTNEGOTIATIONSANDLITIGATION PRPsandtrusteesshouldalsogivecarefulconsiderationtowhetheracommitmentto conductsomeorallofanNRDAcooperativelynecessarilymeansthattheyandtheother partiestothecooperativeNRDAwillresolvethetrustees’claims(andanycounterclaimsor thirdpartyclaims)viasettlementnegotiations.AlthoughconductingsomeoralloftheNRDA cooperativelywillhopefullyprovideasolidbaseforinitiatingsettlementnegotiations,all partiestoacooperativeNRDAshouldbemindfulthatinitiatingorevencompletinga cooperativeNRDAdoesnotmeanthattheyortheotherpartiestothecooperativeNRDAwill allwanttopursuesettlementnegotiationsratherthanlitigation.Infact,itispossiblethatifthe cooperativeNRDAisnotsocooperativeorsuccessful,thenoneormorepartiesmaycometo believethatresolutionofthetrustees’claimsthroughsettlementnegotiationsisnotlikelyto succeedandthatatleastaperiodoflitigationisnecessary.Theauthorisnotawareofany publiclyavailabledataastohowoftenthismayresult,thoughitwouldseemtobean COOPERATIVENRDAS:FACTORFICTION? Page3 Law Seminars International | Natural Resource Damages | 07/15/10 in Santa Fe, NM
- Page 81 and 82: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 83 and 84: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 85 and 86: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 87 and 88: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 89 and 90: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 91 and 92: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 93 and 94: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 95 and 96: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 97 and 98: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 99 and 100: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 101 and 102: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 103 and 104: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 105: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 108 and 109: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 110 and 111: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 112 and 113: Brian D. Israel of Arnold & Porter
- Page 115: L A W S E M I N A R S I N T E R N A
- Page 118 and 119: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 120 and 121: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 122 and 123: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 124 and 125: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 126 and 127: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 128 and 129: David J. Lazerwitz of Farella Braun
- Page 131: Richard O. Curley, Jr. of Curley &
- Page 135 and 136: Andrew O. Guglielmi of New York Sta
- Page 137 and 138: Andrew O. Guglielmi of New York Sta
- Page 139 and 140: Andrew O. Guglielmi of New York Sta
- Page 141 and 142: Kenneth Jenkins of ARCADIS Speaker
- Page 143 and 144: Amy L. Horner of U.S. Department of
- Page 145: L A W S E M I N A R S I N T E R N A
- Page 148 and 149: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 150 and 151: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 152 and 153: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 154 and 155: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 156 and 157: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 158 and 159: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 160 and 161: Ira Gottlieb of McCarter & English,
- Page 163: L A W S E M I N A R S I N T E R N A
- Page 166 and 167: John Carlucci of U.S. Department of
- Page 168 and 169: Nathaniel Barber of New York State
- Page 170 and 171: Ken L. Frank of Chevron Environment
- Page 172 and 173: Ken L. Frank of Chevron Environment
- Page 174 and 175: Ken L. Frank of Chevron Environment
- Page 176 and 177: Ken L. Frank of Chevron Environment
- Page 179 and 180: Sheri L. Moreno of General Electric
- Page 181 and 182: Sheri L. Moreno of General Electric
Richard O. Curley, Jr. of Curley & Associates LLC Speaker 7: 3<br />
cooperativeassessmentintheCERCLAcontextisoftenunnecessarybecauseoftheslow<br />
(sometimesglaciallyslow)paceofsitecharacterizationandsiteremediationactivities.<br />
Likewise,determiningbaselineatmostCERCLAsitesisusuallyacomplex,timeconsuming<br />
undertakinginvolvingnotjustcurrentsamplingofnaturalresources,butthecompilationof<br />
historicandenvironmentalinformationcoveringprioryearsorevendecadesofanthropogenic<br />
andnaturalevents.Suchbaselineworkshouldnotberushedorgivenshortshriftforthesake<br />
ofexpeditingacooperativeprocess.Giventhatrestorationdamagesarerecoverableforonly<br />
theresidualinjuriesexistingafterthecompletionofremediation(andanynaturalrecovery)<br />
rushingintoacooperativeassessmentyearsorevendecadesbeforeaCERCLAremedyhas<br />
beenimplementedoftenisnotonlyunnecessarybutcounterproductive.Moreover,bothPRPs<br />
andtrusteesshouldcarefullyconsiderthetimingofacooperative<strong>NRD</strong>AatanyCERCLAsite<br />
wheretheRI/FShasnotyetbeencompleted.Section113(g)ofCERCLAprovidesthat:<br />
Innoeventmayanactionfordamagesunderthischapterwithrespecttosucha<br />
vesselorfacilitybecommenced(i)priorto60daysafterthe<strong>Fe</strong>deralorState<br />
naturalresourcetrusteeprovidestothePresidentandthepotentially<br />
responsiblepartyanoticeofintenttofilesuit,or(ii)beforeselectionofthe<br />
remedialactionifthePresidentisdiligentlyproceedingwitharemedial<br />
investigationandfeasibilitystudyundersection9604(b)ofthistitleorsection<br />
9620ofthistitle(relatingto<strong>Fe</strong>deralfacilities).[Emphasisadded.]<br />
Conductingan<strong>NRD</strong>A–evenacooperativeone–monthsoryearsbeforeaclaimmaybe<br />
broughtwillusuallynotmakesenseforbothpracticalandstrategicreasons.<br />
<br />
RELATIONSHIPSAMONGCOOPERATIVEASSESSMENTS,SETTLEMENTNEGOTIATIONSANDLITIGATION<br />
PRPsandtrusteesshouldalsogivecarefulconsiderationtowhetheracommitmentto<br />
conductsomeorallofan<strong>NRD</strong>Acooperativelynecessarilymeansthattheyandtheother<br />
partiestothecooperative<strong>NRD</strong>Awillresolvethetrustees’claims(andanycounterclaimsor<br />
thirdpartyclaims)viasettlementnegotiations.Althoughconductingsomeorallofthe<strong>NRD</strong>A<br />
cooperativelywillhopefullyprovideasolidbaseforinitiatingsettlementnegotiations,all<br />
partiestoacooperative<strong>NRD</strong>Ashouldbemindfulthatinitiatingorevencompletinga<br />
cooperative<strong>NRD</strong>Adoesnotmeanthattheyortheotherpartiestothecooperative<strong>NRD</strong>Awill<br />
allwanttopursuesettlementnegotiationsratherthanlitigation.Infact,itispossiblethatifthe<br />
cooperative<strong>NRD</strong>Aisnotsocooperativeorsuccessful,thenoneormorepartiesmaycometo<br />
believethatresolutionofthetrustees’claimsthroughsettlementnegotiationsisnotlikelyto<br />
succeedandthatatleastaperiodoflitigationisnecessary.Theauthorisnotawareofany<br />
publiclyavailabledataastohowoftenthismayresult,thoughitwouldseemtobean<br />
COOPERATIVE<strong>NRD</strong>AS:FACTORFICTION?<br />
Page3<br />
Law Seminars International | Natural Resource Damages | 07/15/10 in <strong>Santa</strong> <strong>Fe</strong>, NM
Change language