Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_96-cv-05176/USCOURTS-caed-1_96-cv-05176-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 42:9607 Real Property Tort to Land

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Order Restricting Use of Property

BILL LOCKYER

Attorney General of the State of California

THEODORA P. BERGER

Senior Assistant Attorney General

REED SATO, State Bar No. 087685

Deputy Attorney General

1300 I Street, Suite 125

P.O. Box 944255

Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Telephone: (916) 324-8630

Fax: (916) 327-2319

Attorneys for Plaintiff, State of California on behalf of

the Dept. of Toxic Substances Control and Hazardous

Substance Account

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STATE OF CALIFORNIA on behalf of the

DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES

CONTROL; HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE

ACCOUNT,

Plaintiff,

v.

AVEDICK AGAJANIAN; 

LILY AGAJANIAN,

Defendants.

CASE NO. CV F 96 5176 REC SMS

 ORDER RESTRICTING USE OF

PROPERTY

Date: December 19, 2005

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Courtroom: One

I.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff, State of California, on behalf of the Department of Toxic Substances Control

("Department" or "DTSC"), seeks a restriction on the use of the property formerly known as the

the Silver Queen Junkyard site in Kern County ("Silver Queen Junkyard Site" or "Site"). The

Department has completed a removal action for the Site based on cleanup levels developed for

the future use of the Site for industrial or commercial purposes. The Department seeks this

Order Requiring Restrictions on Use of Property (“Restrictions on Use”) so that it can certify the

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Order Restricting Use of Property

completion of the response action for this Site and in a manner not inconsistent with the National

Contingency Plan, 40 C.F.R. § 300.430(e)(3)(ii). The Department represents that it will record

this Order with the Kern County Recorder’s Office so that any subsequent owners or occupants

of the Site will be aware of the restrictions on the use of the Site.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

II.

STATEMENT OF FACTS 

1.01. The Site, totaling approximately 21 acres, is more particularly described and

depicted in Exhibit "A", attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. The Site is

located in the area now generally bounded on the east by United Road, on the north and south by

undeveloped land and by an industrial parcel on the West, in the County of Kern, State of

California. This Site is more specifically described as Kern County Assessor's Parcel No. 429-

170-05 and shown in Kern County Assessor’s Parcel Map attached as Exhibit “B”.

1.02. A limited portion of the Site, hereafter referenced as "Capped Area", is defined

below, and is more particularly described in Exhibit "C" which is attached and incorporated by

this reference. The Capped Area is located in the southwestern portion of the Site. The Capped

Area is comprised of rectangular-shaped concrete cap, approximately 113 feet long by 66 feet

wide. The Capped Area is also depicted as a cross–hatched rectangle on Exhibit “D”, attached to

this document and also incorporated by this reference.

1.03. The Site has been remediated under the supervision and authority of the

Department. The Site has been remediated pursuant to a Removal Action Workplan pursuant to

Chapter 6.8 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code. Because hazardous substances, as

defined in Health and Safety Code section 25316, which are also hazardous materials as defined

in Health and Safety Code section 25260, including lead, copper, and zinc, remain in the soil and

under portions of the Site in a capped area, the Removal Action Workplan provided that a

restriction on the future use of the Site would be required as part of the site remediation. The

Department circulated the Removal Action Workplan, which contained a Final Health Risk

Assessment, together with a negative declaration pursuant to the California Environmental

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Order Restricting Use of Property

Quality Act, Public Resources Code sections 21000 et seq. for public review and comment. The

Removal Action Workplan and the negative declaration, were approved by the Department on

December 16, 1998. Remediation for the Site included the following response activities: 1)

excavation and lining of a consolidation pit; 2) excavation and consolidation of the surface soil

contaminated with concentrations of lead, copper and zinc that exceeded the remedial goals of

1,000 mg/kg, 2,500 mg/kg and 5,000 mg/kg, respectively, into the consolidation pit; 3) the

consolidation of debris into the pit; 4) the construction of a reinforced concrete cap over the

consolidated soil and debris; 5) the backfilling and grading of excavated areas of the Site. The

response action also includes the operation and maintenance of the Capped Area and the

restriction of land usage to industrial. The operation and maintenance of the Cap, is pursuant to

an Operation and Maintenance Manual incorporated into the Deed Restriction and attached as 

Exhibit “E”. 

1.04. As detailed in the Final Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study as approved

by the Department on June 28, 1993, a portion of the surface and subsurface soils within 2 feet of

the surface of the Site contain hazardous substances, as defined in Health and Safety Code

section 25316, which include the following metal contaminants of concern in the ranges set forth

below: lead [5.0 to 10,000 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)], copper (5.0 to 85,000 mg/kg), and

zinc (5.0 to 15,000 mg/kg). Based on the Final Risk Assessment for the Site, the Department

concluded that use of the Site as a residence, hospital, school for persons under the age of 21 or

day care center would entail an unacceptable cancer risk. Additionally, the Final Risk

Assessment identified the Remedial Goals for commercial and industrial use of the Site to be

1,000 mg/kg, 2,500 mg/kg and 5,000 mg/kg for lead, copper and zinc, respectively. The

remediation of the site involved the removal of soil containing concentrations of lead, copper and

zinc in excess of the Remedial Goals. The Department further concluded that the Site, as

remediated, and subject to the restrictions of the restrictions on use set for this Order, does not

present an unacceptable threat to human safety or the environment, if limited to commercial and

industrial use.

/ / /

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Order Restricting Use of Property

II

DEFINITIONS

2.01. Department. "Department" means the California Department of Toxic Substances

Control and includes its successor agencies, if any.

2.02. Owner. "Owner" means the any person who at any time holds title to all or any

portion of the Site.

2.03. Occupant. "Occupant" means the Owner and any person or entity entitled by

ownership, leasehold, or other legal relationship to the right to occupy any portion of the Site.

III

GENERAL PROVISIONS

3.01. Restrictions to Run with the Land. This Restriction on Use sets forth protective

provisions, restrictions, and conditions (collectively referred to as "Restrictions"), subject to

which the Site and every portion thereof shall be improved, held, used, occupied, leased, sold,

hypothecated, encumbered, and/or conveyed. Each and every Restriction: (a) runs with the land

; (b) inures to the benefit of and passes with each and every portion of the Site; (c) is for the

benefit of, and is enforceable by the Department, and (d) is imposed upon the entire Site unless

expressly stated as applicable only to a specific portion thereof.

3.02. Binding upon Owners/Occupants. This Restriction on Use binds all owners of the

Site, their heirs, successors, and assignees, and the agents, employees, and lessees of the owners,

heirs, successors, and assignees. All successive owners of the Site are expressly bound hereby

for the benefit of the Department.

3.03. Written Notice of Release of Hazardous Substances. Prior to the sale, lease or

sublease of the Site, the owner, lessor, or sublessor shall give the buyer, lessee, or sublessee

notice that hazardous substances are located on or beneath the Site, as required by California

Health and Safety Code section 25359.7.

3.04. Incorporation into Deeds and Leases. The Restrictions set forth herein shall be

incorporated by reference in each and all deeds and leases for any portion of the Site. 

/ / /

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Order Restricting Use of Property

3.05. Conveyance of Site. An Owner shall provide notice to the Department not later

than thirty (30) days after any conveyance of any ownership interest in the Site (excluding

mortgages, liens, and other non-possessory encumbrances). The Department shall not, by reason

of this Restriction on Use, have authority to approve, disapprove, or otherwise affect proposed

conveyance, except as otherwise provided by law, by administrative order, or by a specific

provision of this Restriction on Use.

3.06. Costs of Administering the Deed Restriction May Be Paid by Owner. The terms

of this deed restriction run with the land and will continue in perpetuity unless a variance is

granted pursuant to section 6.01, or unless terminated pursuant to section 6.02. The Department

has already incurred and will in the future incur costs associated with the administration of this

deed restriction. Therefore, the Owner may be liable to pay the Department’s cost in

administering the deed restriction. In the event the Site ownership changes between the time that

the Department’s administrative costs were incurred and the invoice for such costs is received,

each owner of the Site for the period covered by the invoice, as well as the current owner, is

responsible for such costs. Further, the Owner may be liable in the event of remedy failure and is

deemed to enjoy the benefit of the Restriction on Use, notwithstanding the fact that the Owner

may no longer be in possession of the Site.

IV

RESTRICTIONS

4.01. Prohibited Uses. The Site shall not be used for any of the following purposes:

(a) A residence, including any mobile home or factory-built housing, constructed

or installed for use as residential human habitation.

(b) A hospital for humans.

(c) A public or private school for persons under 21 years of age.

(d) A day care center for children.

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

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Order Restricting Use of Property

4.02. Non-Interference with Cap. 

(a) Activities that may disturb the Cap (e.g. excavation, grading,

removal, trenching, filling, earth movement, or mining) shall not be

permitted on the Capped Area without prior review and approval by

the Department.

(b) All uses and development of the Capped Area shall preserve the

integrity of the Cap.

(c) The Cap shall not be altered without written approval by the

Department.

(d) The Owner or Occupant shall notify the Department of each of the

following:

(i) The type, cause, location and date of any disturbance to the Cap

that could affect the ability of the Cap to contain subsurface

hazardous wastes or hazardous materials in the Capped Area, and (ii)

the type and date of repair of such disturbance. Notification to the

Department shall be made as provided below within ten (10) working

days of both the discovery of any such disturbance and the

completion of any repairs. Timely and accurate notification by any

Owner or Occupant shall satisfy this requirement on behalf of all

other Owners and Occupants. 

4.03. Access for Department. The Department shall have reasonable right of entry and

access to the Site for inspection, monitoring, and other activities consistent with the purposes of

this Restriction on Use as deemed necessary by the Department in order to protect the public

health or safety, or the environment.

4.04. Access for Implementing O&M. The entity or person responsible for

implementing the Operation and Maintenance Manual shall have reasonable right of entry and

access to the Site for the purpose of implementing the activities described in the Operation and

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Order Restricting Use of Property

Maintenance Manual until the Department determines that no further Operation and Maintenance

is required.

V

ENFORCEMENT

5.01. Enforcement. Failure of the Owner or Occupant to comply with any of the

Restrictions specifically applicable to it shall be grounds for the Department to require that such

person modify or remove any improvements constructed or placed upon any portion of the Site in

violation of the Restrictions. ("Improvements" herein shall mean all buildings, roads, driveways,

and paved parking areas.) Violation of this Restriction on Use may be grounds for the

Department to seek civil or criminal actions as provided by law.

VI

VARIANCE, TERMINATION, AND TERM

6.01. Variance. Any owner may apply to the Department for a written variance from

the provisions of this Restriction on Use. The provisions of California Health and Safety Code

section 25233 shall apply to any applications for a variance.

6.02. Termination. Any aggrieved person may apply to the Department for a

termination of the Restrictions or other terms of this Restriction on Use as they apply to all or any

portion of the Site. The provisions of California Health and Safety Code section 25234 shall

apply to any applications to remove the land use restrictions.

6.03. Term. Unless ended in accordance with the Termination paragraph above, by law,

or by the Department in the exercise of its discretion, this Restriction on Use shall continue in

effect in perpetuity.

VII

MISCELLANEOUS

7.01. No Dedication Intended. Nothing set forth in this Restriction on Use shall be

construed to be a gift or dedication, or offer of a gift or dedication, of the Site, or any portion

thereof to the general public or anyone else for any purpose whatsoever.

/ / /

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Order Restricting Use of Property

7.02. Department References. All references to the Department include successor

agencies/departments or other successor entity.

7.03. Notices. Whenever any person gives or serves any Notice on the Department

("Notice" as used herein includes any demand or other communication with respect to this

Restriction on Use), each such Notice shall be in writing and shall be sent as follows:

Northern California - Central

Cleanup Operations Branch

Department of Toxic Substances Control

8800 Cal Center Drive

Sacramento, California 95826

7.04. Partial Invalidity. If any portion of the Restrictions or other term set forth herein

is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid for any reason, the surviving

portions of this Restriction on Use shall remain in full force and effect as if such portion found

invalid had not been included herein.

7.05. Statutory References. All statutory references include successor provisions.

VIII

RECORDATION OF ORDER

8.01. Recording of Order. This Order, with all referenced Exhibits, shall be recorded in

the Kern County Recorder’s Office within ten (10) days of the Department’s receipt of a copy of

the Order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 12/22/05 /s/Robert E. Coyle 

The Honorable Robert E. Coyle

United State District Court Judge

96cv5176.wpd

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