Opinion ID: 201206
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The soil cleanup

Text: 9 In 1983, Rhode Island brought an enforcement action under CERCLA § 107, 42 U.S.C. § 9607, for cleanup costs at the Picillo site. This initial action was brought against 35 defendants who were either owner/operators of the site, parties who allegedly transported waste there, parties alleged to have arranged for their waste to be transported to the site, and parties alleged to have produced waste deposited at the site. O'Neil, 682 F.Supp. at 709. 10 Rhode Island settled with twenty of the defendants, including the Capuanos. The Capuanos agreed to pay $500,000. Rhode Island went to trial against five of the remaining defendants, including R & H. After trial, the district court found R & H and two other companies jointly and severally liable for un-reimbursed past response costs of $991,937 and for all future costs of removal or remedial action incurred by the state ... includ[ing] any costs associated with the removal of contaminated soil piles. Id. at 731. We affirmed the district court's holdings. O'Neil v. Picillo, 883 F.2d 176 (1st Cir.1989). 11 The United States also sought reimbursement for its response costs associated with the soil cleanup at the Picillo site and settled with many parties, including the Capuanos. The Capuanos agreed to pay $1,500,000. The settling parties received contribution protection as part of the settlement agreement. See 42 U.S.C. § 9613(f)(2) (A person who has resolved its liability to the United States or a State in an administrative or judicially approved settlement shall not be liable for claims for contribution regarding matters addressed in the settlement.). In 1989, the United States filed a cost recovery action under § 9607 against R & H and another company, American Cyanamid. See United States v. American Cyanamid Co., 794 F.Supp. 61 (D.R.I.1990). The district court entered a judgment against them for $3,339,029 plus interest. United States v. American Cyanamid Co., 786 F.Supp. 152, 165 (D.R.I.1992).