Opinion ID: 2307532
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Liberty next contends the evidence failed to support the court's findings concerning the volume of the petroleum releases, the total cost of remediation of the Tamarack site, the restitution percentages attributable to Liberty and Continental, and the calculation of the restitution award. The standard of review is well settled. We will not set aside a trial court's findings unless clearly erroneous, nor disturb its conclusions if they are reasonably supported by the findings. See Morgan v. Kroupa, 167 Vt. 99, 104, 702 A.2d 630, 633 (1997). Findings are viewed in the light most favorable to the judgment, disregarding modifying evidence, and will not be disturbed merely because they are contradicted by substantial evidence; rather, an appellant must show that there is no credible evidence to support the finding. See Bianchi v. Lorenz, 166 Vt. 555, 562, 701 A.2d 1037, 1041 (1997). Liberty contends the evidence failed to support the court's finding that the volume of the initial 1985 release of petroleum was 11,000 gallons. Continental's expert testified that the first release was massive, and using a variety of methodologies calculated that the volume ranged variously from seven to twenty-seven thousand gallons, in the tens of thousands of gallons, something over 11,000 gallons, and 10,000 gallons or greater. These estimates were based, in part, upon evidence indicating both the daily rate of leakage, and the duration of the leak. Credible evidence thus supported the court's decision to fix the volume at a relatively conservative 11,000 gallons. Liberty further contends the evidence failed to support the court's finding that the volume of the 1987 release was 450 gallons. The record, however, contains a GTI report, prepared at Liberty's request, calculating that the second release was between 300 and 600 gallons. The court's decision to fix the volume at the mid-point was not unreasonable. Although Liberty contends the report's author was not qualified as an expert, Liberty raised no objection to the report on this or any other ground at trial. Accordingly, the claim is waived on appeal. See State v. Fisher, 167 Vt. 36, 43, 702 A.2d 41, 45-46 (1997) (failure to raise objection at trial waives claim of error on appeal). Liberty also argues that the estimate of 300 to 600 gallons in the GTI report referred to a different release of petroleum, but testimony at trial refuted the contention. The evidence thus supported the finding. Liberty next challenges the court's finding that the volume of the 1989 release was 450 gallons, asserting that evidence relating to the rate and duration of leakage required a finding of at least 1560 gallons. There was evidence, however, indicating that the third release consisted of three separate leaks of approximately one gallon per day, between April and August of 1989, yielding a total volume of approximately 450 gallons. The fact that there was conflicting evidence does not render the court's finding unreasonable or clearly erroneous. See Bianchi, 166 Vt. at 562, 701 A.2d at 1041. Finally, the record contains ample evidence to support the court's finding that the total cost of remediation, including the amounts paid by Liberty and Continental, was $2,505,964.