Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_96-cv-05879/USCOURTS-caed-1_96-cv-05879-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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STIPULATION FOR DISMISSAL OF CLAIMS AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

Case No. CV-F-96-5879 OWW/DLB

725966

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE 

RAILWAY COMPANY, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

HERCULES INCORPORATED, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No.: CV-F-96-5879 OWW/DLB

(CONSOLIDATED SHAFTER CASES)

STIPULATION FOR DISMISSAL OF 

CLAIMS AND ORDER

__________________________________

 

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a), BNSF Railway Company (formerly 

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company and successor to The Atchison Topeka & 

Santa Fe Railway Company) (“BNSF”), The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”), Shell Oil 

Company (“Shell”), the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (“DTSC”), and 

Hercules Incorporated (“Hercules”), collectively referred to herein as the “Parties,” hereby 

stipulate and agree as follows: 

A. On January 14, 1998, DTSC filed an action in this Court against a number of 

individuals and entities including, but not limited to, BNSF, Dow, Shell, and Hercules, for cost 

recovery, declaratory relief, and civil penalties in connection with response costs incurred and to 

be incurred by DTSC at or in connection with the Brown & Bryant Shafter Site. DTSC v. Brown 

& Bryant, Inc., et al., Case No. CIV-F-98-5050 (“DTSC Action”). The Court consolidated the 

JOHN F. BARG (State Bar No. 60230)

(jfb@bcltlaw.com) 

MARC A. ZEPPETELLO (State Bar No. 121185)

(maz@bcltlaw.com) 

BARG COFFIN LEWIS & TRAPP, LLP

350 California Street, 22nd Floor

San Francisco, California 94104-1435

Telephone: (415) 228-5400

Attorneys for BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY, 

as successor to THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE 

RAILWAY COMPANY

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DTSC Action with two earlier actions which had been filed concerning the Brown & Bryant 

Shafter Site: Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., et al. v. Brown & Bryant, Inc., et al., Case 

No. CIV-F-92-5068; and Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. Hercules Incorporated, et 

al., Case No. CIV-F-96-5879, and directed that “all future pleadings should contain ONLY the 

LEAD CASE NUMBER OF CV-F-96-5879 OWW DLB (member case 98-5050-OWW).” (These 

consolidated actions insofar as they relate to the Brown & Bryant Shafter Site are hereafter 

referred to as the “Consolidated Shafter Cases.”) DTSC filed a First Amended Complaint on 

March 9, 1998 and a Second Amended Complaint on November 6, 1998.

B. On or about May 6, 1998, BNSF filed its answer and cross-claim in the 

Consolidated Shafter Cases, and on or about November 9, 1998, BNSF filed its answer to DTSC’s 

Second Amended Complaint and an amended cross-claim. BNSF’s amended cross-claim asserts

claims against a number of individuals and entities including, but not limited to, Dow, Shell, and 

Hercules. 

C. On or about April 6, 1998, Dow filed its answer and counterclaim in the 

Consolidated Shafter Cases, and on or about May 6, 1998, Dow filed its first amended answer and 

first amended counterclaim to DTSC’s First Amended Complaint. On or about June 11, 1998, 

Dow filed a motion to dismiss and to strike portions of BNSF’s cross-claim and Dow amended that 

motion on or about July 13, 1998. Dow’s motion to dismiss and to strike portions of BNSF’s 

cross-claim was granted by order of November 13, 1998. On November 30, 1998, Dow filed its 

answer to BNSF’s cross-claim along with a cross-claim against BNSF. BNSF answered the crossclaim on December 18, 1998.

D. On or about June 15, 1998, Shell filed its answer in the Consolidated Shafter Cases, 

and on or about June 24, 1998, Shell filed its answer to BNSF’s cross-claim.

E. On or about October 30, 1998, Hercules filed its answer in the Consolidated Shafter 

Cases to DTSC’s First Amended Complaint, a counterclaim against DTSC, and a cross-claim 

against BNSF. DTSC answered the counterclaim on November 20, 1998, and BNSF answered the 

cross-claim on November 23, 1998.

F. On or about May 4, 2009, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in 

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Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, et al. v. United States, et al., 129 S. Ct. 1870 

(2009), which, among other matters, addressed the issue of “arranger liability” under the Section 

107(a)(3) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 

U.S.C. § 9607(a)(3). 

G. Following and based on the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Burlington 

Northern v. United States, cited above, DTSC informed BNSF, Dow, Shell, and Hercules that 

DTSC would dismiss its claims against Dow and Shell in the Consolidated Shafter Cases. On 

November 17, 2009, the Court entered a Stipulation for Dismissal of Claims and Order, dismissing 

with prejudice DTSC’s claims against Dow and Shell, and dismissing with prejudice Dow’s 

counterclaim against DTSC, in the Consolidated Shafter Cases.

Accordingly, the Parties hereby stipulate and agree to, and request that the Court order, the 

following:

1. BNSF’s amended cross-claim against Dow in the Consolidated Shafter Cases is 

dismissed with prejudice, with BNSF and Dow each to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees.

2. Dow’s cross-claim against BNSF in the Consolidated Cases is dismissed with 

prejudice, with Dow and BNSF each to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees.

3. BNSF’s amended cross-claim against Shell in the Consolidated Shafter Cases is 

dismissed with prejudice, with BNSF and Shell each to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees. 

4. This Stipulation and Order shall have no effect on DTSC’s claims in the 

Consolidated Shafter Cases against BNSF or Hercules, nor shall it have any effect on BNSF’s or 

Hercules’s defenses to those claims.

5. This Stipulation and Order shall have no effect on BNSF’s and Hercules’s claims in 

the Consolidated Shafter Cases against each other, nor shall it have any effect on BNSF’s or 

Hercules’s defenses to such claims.

6. This Stipulation may be signed in counterparts and facsimiles of signatures, or 

signatures on a portable document format (pdf) copy of this Stipulation, shall have the same force 

and effect as originals.

7. Each of the signatories hereto is authorized to enter into the Stipulation on behalf of 

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the party for whom he or she signs. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

Dated: May 21, 2010 BARG COFFIN LEWIS & TRAPP, LLP

/s/ Marc A. Zeppetello

MARC A. ZEPPETELLO

Attorneys for BNSF Railway Company

Dated: May 21, 2010 WENDEL, ROSEN, BLACK & DEAN, LLP

/s/ Stephen McKae

STEPHEN McKAE

Attorneys for The Dow Chemical Company

Dated: May 21, 2010 LEWIS, BRISBOIS, BISGAARD & SMITH

/s/ Michael K. Johnson

MICHAEL K. JOHNSON

Attorneys for Shell Oil Company

Dated: May 21, 2010 EDMUND G. BROWN JR.,

Attorney General of the State of California

KEN ALEX

Senior Assistant Attorney General

/s/ Sandra Goldberg

SANDRA GOLDBERG

Deputy Attorney General

Attorneys for Dept. of Toxic Substances Control

Dated: May 21, 2010 K & L GATES, LLP

/s/ Edward P. Sangster

EDWARD P. SANGSTER

Attorneys for Hercules Incorporated

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 24, 2010 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE DEAC_Signature-END:

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