Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/17-1498_8mjp.pdf
Page Number: 9.0

Cite as:  590 U. S. ____ (2020) 

5 

Opinion of the Court 

7–8 (citing EPA, Fifth Five-Year Review Report: Anaconda
Smelter  Superfund  Site,  Anaconda-Deer  Lodge  County, 
Montana, Table 10–1 (Sept. 25, 2015), https://semspub.epa.
gov/work/08/1549381.pdf ).    EPA  projects  that  remedial 
work  will  continue  through  2025.  Id.,  Table  10–7;  Tr.  of 
Oral Arg. 30. 

C 
In 2008, a group of 98 owners of property within the Su-
perfund site filed this lawsuit against Atlantic Richfield in 
Montana  state  court,  asserting  trespass,  nuisance,  and 
strict liability claims under state common law.  The land-
owners sought restoration damages, among other forms of 
relief. 

Under  Montana  law,  property  damages  are  generally 
measured by the “difference between the value of the prop-
erty before and after the injury, or the diminution in value.” 
Sunburst School Dist. No. 2 v. Texaco, Inc., 338 Mont. 259, 
269, 165 P. 3d 1079, 1086 (2007).  But “when the damaged 
property serves as a private residence and the plaintiff has 
an interest in having the property restored, diminution in
value will not return  the plaintiff to the same position as 
before  the  tort.”  Id.,  at  270,  165  P. 3d,  at  1087.    In  that 
circumstance, the plaintiff may seek restoration damages, 
even  if  they  exceed  the  property’s  diminution  in  value. 
See  ibid.;  Restatement  (Second)  of  Torts  §929,  and 
Comment b (1977).

To collect restoration damages, a plaintiff must demon-
strate that he has “reasons personal” for restoring the prop-
erty and that his injury is temporary and abatable, mean-
ing “[t]he ability to repair [the] injury must be more than a 
theoretical  possibility.”  Sunburst  School  Dist.  No.  2,  338 
Mont., at 269, 165 P. 3d, at 1086–1087.  The injured party
must “establish that the award actually will be used for res-
toration.”  Lampi v. Speed, 362 Mont. 122, 130, 261 P. 3d 
1000, 1006 (2011).