Metro Container Grp. v. AC & T Co.

450 F.Supp.3d 583

METRO CONTAINER GROUP, Plaintiff

v.AC & T CO., INC. et al., Defendants

CIVIL ACTION No. 18-3623

United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania.

Signed March 27, 2020

Filed March 30, 2020

Bruce J. Chasan, Law Offices of Bruce J. Chasan LLC, Philadelphia, PA, Gary D. Justis, Matthew T. Merryman, Rachel D. Guthrie, Ambereen K. Shaffie, The Justis Law Firm LLC, Overland Park, KS, for Plaintiff.

Matthew J. Levetown, Bassman Alfano Mitchell & Leiter, Washington, DC, for Defendants AC & T Co., Inc., Laney Oil Company, Inc., Quick Service Taxi Company, Inc., SMO, Incorporated.

Jeffrey L. Leiter, Matthew J. Levetown, Bassman Mitchell Alfano & Leiter Chtd, Washington, DC, Kenneth J. Warren, Mark L. Greenfogel, Warren Environmental Counsel LLC, Bryn Mawr, PA, for Defendants A.R. Sandri, Inc., Alger Oil, Inc., Campbell Oil Company, Carroll Independent Fuel, LLC, Dematte Oil Service, Inc., Fowler Oil Company, Inc., George H. Blouch Fuel Service Inc., Globe Petroleum, Inc., Highouse Oil Company, Inc., Hop Energy, LLC, J.P. Russell & Son, Inc., Jack A. Allen, Inc., Liberty Oil Company, Mack Oil Company, Inc., Marine Lubricants, Inc., Martin Oil Company, Mauger & Co., Inc., Midway Oil And Gas Company, Inc., Norbert E. Mitchell Co., Inc., Petroleum Service Company, Pipeline Petroleum, Inc., Point Bay Fuel, Inc., Quarles Petroleum Incorporated, Refleg Corp., Reimer Brothers Inc., Reit Fuel Oil Co., Reladyne NE LLC, Rex Oil Co., Rhoads Energy Corporation, S.L.F., Inc., Southern Lubricants, Inc., Stockman Oil Two, Inc., Taylor Oil Co., Inc., Tolino's Fuel Service, Inc., Tri Gas & Oil Co., Inc., W.K. Hobbs, Inc., Frank M. Powell, Inc., Harriett's Energy Solultions, Home Oil, Inc., North East Oil Co., Inc., SMO, Inc., Taylor Enterpises, Inc., Tevis Energy, Inc.

David J. Parsells, Stevens & Lee, P.C., King of Prussia, PA, Matthew J. Banta, Stevens & Lee PC, Reading, PA, for Defendant ABF Freight System, Inc.

Marshall J. Handly, Handly & Cox PC, Beverly, MA, Michael H. Gaier, Shaffer & Gaier, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Altman Distributing Co., Inc.

David P. Schneider, Kathleen C. Gannon, Michael T. Hensley, Bressler Amery & Ross PC, Florham Park, NJ, for Defendants Ball Corporation, Griffith Energy Services, Inc., Star Group, L.P., Richland Partners, LLC.

Alexis P. Basilevsky, Melissa Ann Scacchitti, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendants Bock Drum Company, Inc., Callahan Chemical Company, Inc., James T. Warring Sons, Inc., William H. Cooper's Sons, Inc., William J. Jones & Son Inc.

Mitchell E. Burack, Burack Environmental Law Offices, Bala Cynwyd, PA, for Defendant Bronstein Container Company.

Matthew C. Wood, Molly E. Meacham, Babst Calland Clements & Zomnir PC, Pittsburgh, PA, for Defendant CBS Corporation.

Francis T. Jamison, IV, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Certainteed Corporation.

David J. Walton, Amorie I. Hummel, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant D&B Express, Inc.

Michael R. Mey, Wormutch and Mey, Scranton, PA, for Defendant Dunmore Oil Co., Inc.

Jeffrey P. Wallack, Mason Avrigian, Jr., Post & Schell, P.C., Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Dyer Quarry, Inc.

Jonathan Woy, Gibbons P.C., Scott J. Etish, Gibbons PC, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant F. Hoffman-LA Roche AG.

JoAnna Adams Waldron, Curtin & Heefner LLP, Doylestown, PA, for Defendants General Wire & Stamping Co., Inc.

Gary J. Intoccia, McGivney & Kluger, Florham Park, NJ, Richard M. Donaldson, Polsinelli PC, Wilmington, DE, Sean M. Pluta, Jane E. Fedder, Polsinelli PC, St. Louis, MO, Damian Sammons, McGivney Kluger Clark Intoccia PC, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant GKN PLC.

Kenneth J. Warren, Mark L. Greenfogel, Warren Environmental Counsel LLC, Bryn Mawr, PA, for Defendants Hays Tug & Launch Service, Inc.

Benjamin F. Dill, Matthias Kaseorg, Setliff Law PC, Glen Allen, VA, for Defendant Houff Transfer, Inc.

Guy Mercogliano, Melissa Lang, Sweeney, Sheehan & Spaniel, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Industrial Drum Co., Inc.

Christopher Gibson, Archer and Greiner, Haddonfield, NJ, for Defendant Jack Rich Incorporated.

Kathleen M. Kline, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Adam H. Sencenbaugh, Haynes Boone LLP, Austin, TX, David J. Creagan, White & Williams LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Loomis Armored US, LLC.

Albert Francis Moran, Meghan Jane Talbot, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendants O.F. Zurn Company, Fritch, Inc.

John C. McMeekin, Susan M. Dean, Rawle & Henderson LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Ports America, Inc.

Stephen J. Galati, Mattioni, Ltd, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Delaware River Stevedores, Inc.

Alfred R. Brunetti, John P. Leonard, Pro Hac Vice, McElroy Deutsch Mulvahey & Carpenter LLP, Morristown, NJ, Melissa A. Ruth, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Reagent Chemical and Research, Inc.

Scott A. Gould, Mc Nees Wallace & Nurick LLC, Harrisburg, PA, for Defendant Reliable Industries, LLC.

Joshua J. Knapp, Barley Snyder LLC, Lancaster, PA, for Defendant Sam Miller & Son, Inc.

Erica R. Townes, Martin R. Siegel, Barley Snyder, York, PA, for Defendant Shipley Energy Company.

David G. Ries, Joseph R. Brendel, Clark Hill PLC, Pittsburgh, PA, Jonathan D. Klein, Scott B. Galla, Clark Hill PLC, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant the Solvents Recovery Service of New Jersey, Inc.

Mark L. Greenfogel, Warren Environmental Counsel LLC, Bryn Mawr, PA, Matthew J. Levetown, Bassman Alfano Mitchell & Leiter, Washington, DC, for Defendants Spencer Brothers Inc., Tecklenburg Holdings, LLC.

Daniel T. Fitch, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendants Technip USA, Inc., White Apex Holdings, LLC.

Arlene F. Klinedinst, Patrick A. Genzler, Vandeventer Black LLP, Norfolk, VA, for Defendant the Vane Brothers Company.

Ryan M. Ernst, Thomas H. Kramer, O'Kelly Ernst & Joyce, LLC, Wilmington, DE, for Defendant Wertz Motor Coaches, Inc.

Albert Anthony Ciardi, III, Ciardi Ciardi & Astin, Philadelphia, PA, Steven J. Cohen, Wachtel Missry LLP, New York, NY, for Defendant Argo International Corporation.

Philip L. Hinerman, Fox Rothschild LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.

Jamie B. Dameron, Farmer Scott Ozete Robinson & Schmitt LLP, Evansville, IN, JoAnna Adams Waldron, Curtin & Heefner LLP, Doylestown, PA, Mark L. Freed, Freed Law Firm, Berwyn, PA, for Defendant Berry Global, Inc.

George H. Buermann, David E. Rutkowski, Goldberg Segalla LLP, Newark, NJ, James F. Coleman, Michael Warren Aceto, Lavin O'Neil Ricci Cedrone & Disipio, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Davis Standard, LLC.

Gabrielle L. Ongies, Hubbard Terry & Britt PC, Irvington, VA, Kenneth J. Warren, Mark L. Greenfogel, Warren Environmental Counsel LLC, Bryn Mawr, PA, for Defendant George Noblett Oil Company, Inc.

Robert L. Collings, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Harned Oil Inc.

Andrew Park, Weir & Partners LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Mega Concrete, Inc.

Charles Dennen, Archer & Greiner PC, Haddonfield, NJ, for Defendant NRG Heat & Power, LLC.

Richard T. Curley, Law Offices of Richard T. Curley, Boyertown, PA, for Defendant Penn Petroleum Inc.

Joshua E. Karoly, Karoly Law Firm LLC, Allentown, PA, for Defendant Yourway Transport, Inc.

John K. Fiorilla, Dyer & Peterson, PC, Parsippany, NJ, for Defendant Regional Rail LLC.

Carol L. Knowlton, Gorski & Knowlton, Hamilton, NJ, for Defendant Tire Craft Of Point Pleasant Beach, Inc.

Thomas G. Wilkinson, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant Wolyniec Construction, Inc.

Charles Scott Toomey, Littleton Park Joyce Ughetta & Kelly LLP, Radnor, PA, Christine M. Emery, Littleton Park Joyce Ughetta & Kelly LLP, Red Bank, NJ, for Defendant Zenith Home Corp.

Raymond M. Bily, Law Offices of Raymond M. Bily Jr., P.C., Warrington, PA, for Defendant Suffolk Sales and Service Corporation.

Nathan R. Bohlander, Oliver Raymond Brooks, Morgan & Akins, PLLC, Philadelphia, PA, for Defendant AMF Automation Technologies, LLC.

Commonwealth Oil Co. Inc., Scottsvile, VA, pro se.

Allen Oil Sales, Inc., York, PA, pro se.

MEMORANDUM

Pratter, District Judge The Metro Container Group ("Metro"), an unincorporated association of several entities, has sued numerous defendants pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"), 42 U.S.C. § 9601, et seq. , for cost recovery, contribution, and declaratory relief related to costs Metro incurred in efforts to remove contamination at the Metro Container Site in Trainer, Pennsylvania.

Before the Court are the motions from no less than 30 Defendants, seeking to dismiss the amended complaint pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2), 12(b)(5), 12(b)(6), 12(c),¹ and 12(e). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will permit the Section 113(f) claim to proceed, as well as Metro's claim for declaratory judgment. The Section 107(a) claim is dismissed. Furthermore, as to certain defendants, alleged to be successors of contributors of waste at the site, the Court will dismiss the complaint (without prejudice) entirely.

BACKGROUND

I. Factual and Procedural History

Metro² alleges that numerous Defendants are liable for the release and/or threat of release of hazardous substances from the facility known as Metro Container Site located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Metro Container Site is eleven acres of industrial area about 20 miles southwest of Philadelphia.

The site was placed on the National Priorities List in 2012. The following year, the EPA determined that the site presented a risk to the public health, and detailed in an action memorandum a removal response plan for the site. In 2015, the EPA notified additional "potentially responsible parties" (PRPs) of their opportunity to participate in a remedial investigation and feasibility study for the site. In response to the EPA's 2015 notice letter, members of the Metro Container...