Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1 l NORTHERNCALIFORNIARIVER CASENO.:
WATCH,a non-profitCorporation,
12 COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF,
CIVIL PENALTIES, RESTITUTION
l3 Plaintiff, AND REMEDIATION
14 fResourceConservation
& Rccoverl,Act
PACIFICLUMBER COMPANY, INC., (RCRA)42 U.S.C.g 6901et scq.l
l5 andDOES l-10, Inclusive,
16 Defendants.
17
l8
19 NOW COMES Plaintiff, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RIVER WATCI-I (hereafter,"RIVER
22 as follows:
L) I. INTRODUCTION
28
Complaintfor InjunctiveRelief
NorthernCalif.RiverWatchv PacificLumberCo.
I This complaintseeksrelief for PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANy's dischargeof pollution from
7 Facilities into the ground and surface waters surrounding and downstreamof the
8 Facilities;
12 establishremediation
projectsin lieuof penalties,for violationsofthc aboveenumerated
t7 II. JURISDICTION
1 8 3. This Court has subjectmatterjurisdictionover all Federalcallsesof actionin this Complainr
1 9 pursuantto RCRA $ 7002(a)&(b),42U.S.C.S 6972 (a)&(b) and 28 U.S.C.$ 1221(an acrio' fbr
2 0 declaratory
andinjunctivereliefarisingundertheConstitutionandlawsofthe UnitedStates).
This Court
2l jurisdictionover all State-based
has supplemental causesof actionin this Complaintpursuantto 2g
--l
)) U.S.C.$ 1367,asthoseclaimsform partofthe samecaseor controversyastheFederalcauses
of action.
.a I
t t l 4. On or aboutFebruary1,2006,RIVERWATCH providedwrittennoticeof pACIFIC LUMBER
I
:,1 COMPANY's violationsof RCRA, andof its intentto file suitagainstPACIFICLUMBER COMpANy
;,1
I
(hereafter,"EPA"), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency - Region IX, the
2 5 its drinking water sources,ground water, rivers, creeksand tributaries.Many of RIVER wATCH's
2 6 memberslive in areasaffectedby PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY's pollution. Saidmembershave
an
2 7 interestwhich is or may be adverselyaffectedby PACIFIC LUMBER COMpANy,s violationsas
set
28
Complaintfor InjunctiveRelief
Northern
Calif.RiverWatchv PacificLumberCo.
3
I forth in this Complaint' Said members use the affected watershedfor domestic
water supply,
2 agriculturalwatersupply,recreation,sports,fishing,swimming,hiking, photography,naturewalks
and
a
J the like' Furthermore,the relief soughtwill specificallyredressthe injuries in fact, and the likelihood
l5 V. STATEMENT OF FACTS
t 6 10. PACIFICLUMBER COMPANY hasowned,operatedand,lor
leasedthe Iracilitiesat leastsince
1 7 the 1970'saccordingto informationavailableto RIVER WATCH.
l 8 I l. PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY has stored large quantities of petroleum productsin
27
28
Complaintfor InjunctiveRelief
NorthernCalif. River Watchv PacificLumberCo.
I 18. Violations of this and other statutesallegedin this Complaint are a major cause
of the
2 continuing decline in water quality, and a continuing threat to existing and future drinking
water
J suppliesin Northern California.With everydischarge,groundwatersuppliesarecontaminated.
These
/
T dischargescan and must be controlled in order for the groundwatersupply to be returned
as a safe
5 sourceof drinking water.
6 VI. FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
8 19' RIVER WATCH incorporatesthe allegationsset forth abovein paragraphsI through l8 a'd
22 COMPANY has failed to comply with the statutoryand regulatoryleak prevention,leak detection.
aa
L.) monitoring,and remediationrequirementsimposedunderRCRA and describedin the RCRA Notice
')A
L1 attachedas Exhibit A.
2 7 harm RIVER WATCH and its membershaveno plain, speedyor adequateremedyat law.
28
Complaintfor InjunctiveRelief
NorthernCalif.RiverWatchv PacificLumberCo.
6
I 25. Wherefore,RIVER WATCH praysjudgment againstPACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY as ser
z forth hereafter.
a
J VII. SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
4 Violation of 42 U.S.C. $ 6901et seq.,specifically42 U.S.C.g 6972(a)(1)(B)
5 26. RIVER WATCH incorporatesthe allegationsset forth abovein paragraphs1 through25 and
t 7 28. PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY owns and hasoperatedthe F'acilitiesat which it hasstored.
2 ethylbenzene
andxylenesare"solid wastes"and"hazardous
wastes"within the meaningof the statute.
)a 33. zuVER WATCH is informed and believes,and thereon alleges,that amountsof petroleum
A
a products and their constituents,TPHg, benzene,toluene, ethylbenzeneand xylenes releasedby
5 PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY at the Facilitiesare in sufficient quantityto posean imminent and
6 substantialrisk to both the environmentand to humanhealth.
7 34. Continuingactsor failureto actby PACIFICLUMBER COMPANY to address
theseviolarions
8 will irreparablyharm RIVER WATCH andits members,for which harm they haveno plain, speedyor
9 adequateremedyat law.
1 0 35.Wherefore,RIVER WATCH praysjudgmentagainstPACIFICLUMBER COMPANY assetforth
lt hereafter.
t 4 followingrelief:
1 5 36. DeclarePACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY to haveviolatedandto be in violationof RCRA for
2 action;
a
J 40. Enter a judgment that PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY is requiredto pay civil penaltiesand
+ exemplarydamagesaccordingto proof.
6 requiring PACIFIC LUMBER COMPANY to enjoin and abate the nuisanceresulting from the
7 dischargeand releaseof petroleumproductsand constituentsat the Facilities, and the migration of
8 petroleumproductsand constituentsinto soil and groundwatersurroundingthe Facilities.
9 42. ImposeinjunctivereliefrequiringPACIFICLUMBER COMPANY to immediatelyinvestigate,
1 0 accessandcategorizethe
extentof pollutionandimplementthebestavailabletechnologyto remcdiate
l8
l 9 DATtsD:Junel, 2006
SILVER
20 Attofney for Plaintiff
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RIVER WATCFI
21
22
aa
z)
24
25
26
27
28
Complaintfor InjunctiveRelief
Northern Calif. River Watch v Pacific Lumber Co.
Exhibit A
Law Office of JackSilver
P.O. Box 5469 SantaRosa,(lalifon'ria 95402
P h o n e7 0 7 - 5 2 8 - 8 1 7 5 F a x 7 0 7 - 5 2 8 - 8 6 7 5
i.r'arri orec o(a\'ahoo. coni
Februaryl, 2006
RobertManne,Presidentand CEO
The Pacific Lumber Company
125Main Street
Scotia,CA 95565
Re: Notice of Violations and Intent to File Suit under the Resource
Conservationand RecoveryAct
DearMr. Manne:
In June of 1991 a 1,000 gallon tank was removed. The remaining tanks were
removedby at leastOctoberof 1998. Basedupon sitehistories,minimal over-excavation
occurredfollowing the tank removals,followed by back-filling of the excavations.The
excavationsite was then paved over with asphaltandlorconcrete.
Current engineering consultant reports for this site indicate the extent of the
contaminantplume is still being evaluatedto determinethe lateral and vertical extentof
contamination.As ofthe first quartermonitoringreportfor 2005,TPHg contaminantlevels
wereashigh as 13,000ug/l; TPHd levelswereashigh as 900 ug/l; benzenelevelswereas
high as 1,100ugll; toluenewasashigh as73ugll;ethylbenzene wasashigh as 150ug/l; and
xyleneswere as high as 73 ugll. Each of theselevels is far in excessof California,s
Maximum ContaminantLevels for theseconstituents.
REGULATORY STANDARDS
Provisionsof RCRA govern the use and operationof USTs used for storageof
petroleumproducts(subchapterIX,42U.S.C.$ 6991et seq.).The RCRA UST regulatory
programis adoptedand implementedin Californiaunderthe StateUndergroundStorage
of
HazardousSubstance AccountAct (CaliforniaHealth& SafetyCode OiSZSOet seqj.
are creating an imminent and substantial endangermentto public health and the
environment.
The violations allegedin this Notice areknowing and intentionalin that PALCO in
thepasthasused,storedand may havesoldpetroleumproductsat the CompanyGaragesite
which are known to contain hazardoussubstances, and in that PALCO has intendedthat
suchproductsbe soldto andusedby employees or by thepublic. PALCO hasknown of the
contamination at the site sinceat leastJanuaryof 2001, and hasalsoknown that failing to
promptly remediatethe pollution allows the contaminationto migratethrough soil and
groundwaterat and adjacentto the site, andto continuallycontaminateand re-contaminate
actualand potentialsourcesof drinking water in additionto surfacewaters.
The violationsof PALCO as setforth in this Notice affect the health and enjoyment
of membersof River Watch who resideand recreatein the effectedwatershedareas.The
membersof River Watch use the watershedfor domesticwater supply, agriculturalwater
supply,recreation,sports,fishing, swimming, shellfish harvesting,hiking, photography,
naturewalks and the like. Their health, use and enjoymentof this natural resourceare
conditionsspecificallyimpairedby theseviolationsof RCRA.
River Watch has retained legal counsel to representthem in this matter. All
communications
shouldbe addressed to:
Noticeof ViolationsandIntentto File Suit- RCRA
ThePacificLumberCompany
February 1,2006
Page7
JackSilver,Esquire
Law Office of JackSilver
P.O.Box 5469
SantaRosa,CA95402
Tel. (707) s28-8175
Fax (707) 528-8675
Verytruly yours,
,'\ /
/ \ / t /
\rlsoL'gr'-1.)"'-,
JfflkSilver
JS:lhm
Noticeof ViolationsandIntentto File Suit- RCRA
ThePacificLumberCompany
February1,2006
Page8
cc:
StephenL. Johnson,Administrator
U.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
Ariel Rios Building
1200Pennsylvania Avenue,N.W.
M a i l C o d e3 2 1 3 A
Washington,D.C. 20460
WayneNastri, RegionalAdministrator
U.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,Region9
75 HawthorneStreet
SanFrancisco,CA 94105
CelesteCanti.i,ExecutiveDirector
StateWater ResourcesControl Board
P. O .B o x 1 0 0
Sacramento, California95812-0100
Mark Leary,ExecutiveDirector
Calif. IntegratedWasteMgmt. Board
1001"I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
CapitalCorporateServices,Inc.
RegisteredAgent for
The Pacific Lumber Company
455 CapitolMall Complex#217
Sacramento, CA 95814