Opinion ID: 1303724
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Contribution, Indemnification, and Unjust Enrichment Claims

Text: The district court dismissed NiMo's claims against King and Chevron for contribution under New York law, concluding that CERCLA preempted the state claims. Niagara I, 291 F.Supp.2d at 137. The district court also dismissed NiMo's state law contribution claims against U.S. Steel and Portec because the district court had already determined that U.S. Steel and Portec were not liable for the remediation of the Water Street Site. Id. CERCLA could preempt state law in one of three ways: (1) Congress expressly indicated that CERCLA preempts state law; (2) CERCLA is a comprehensive regulatory scheme such that it creates a reasonable inference that the state cannot supplement it; or (3) state law directly conflicts with CERCLA. See Cal. Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Guerra, 479 U.S. 272, 280-81, 107 S.Ct. 683, 93 L.Ed.2d 613 (1987). We have previously held that CERCLA does not expressly preempt applicable state law. Marsh v. Rosenbloom, 499 F.3d 165, 177 (2d Cir. 2007). We have also concluded that CERCLA is not such a comprehensive scheme that it cannot be supplemented by state law. Bedford Affiliates v. Sills, 156 F.3d 416, 427 (2d Cir.1998), overruled on other grounds by W.R. Grace, 559 F.3d at 90. That leaves only preemption by conflict, which exists when compliance with both state and federal law is impossible, or when the state law stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives of Congress. Pac. Capital Bank, N.A. v. Connecticut, 542 F.3d 341, 351 (2d Cir.2008) (quoting United States v. Locke, 529 U.S. 89, 109, 120 S.Ct. 1135, 146 L.Ed.2d 69 (2000)) (internal quotation marks omitted). CERCLA depends on a federal and state partnership to assist the national government in identifying and remediating hazardous wastes sites consistent with the National Contingency Plan. But while a state can settle a PRP's CERCLA liability, that authorization does not compel the conclusion that Congress intended that parties who have settled their CERCLA liability should have both a federal and a state law based claim for recovery of the same response expenditures. CERCLA employs state agencies in identifying and remediating hazardous waste sites while providing a federally defined settlement enticement. Congress created the statutory right to contribution in § 113(f) in part to encourage settlements and further CERCLA's purpose as an impetus to efficient resolution of environmental hazards. See Atl. Research, 551 U.S. at 141, 127 S.Ct. 2331; see also Marsh, 499 F.3d at 180. Section 113 is intended to standardize the statutory right of contribution and, in doing so, avoid the possibility of fifty different state statutory schemes that regulate the duties and obligations of non-settling PRPs who might be viewed as tortfeasors under the law of any particular state. Based on the text, § 113 was intended to provide the only contribution avenue for parties with response costs incurred under CERCLA. [27] See 42 U.S.C. § 9613(f)(3)(C) (Any contribution action brought under this paragraph shall be governed by Federal law.). Thus we conclude that state law contribution claims for CERCLA response costs conflict with CERCLA contribution claims and therefore are preempted. [28] NiMo makes no claims for cleanup costs outside of those it expended in compliance with the Consent Order and we have already determined that costs incurred pursuant to the Consent Order, as amended, fall within CERCLA. Because NiMo did not incur costs outside of CERCLA, NiMo has no grounds for contribution under New York law and we affirm the district court. We are left then with NiMo's indemnification and unjust enrichment claims. We have previously concluded that state law indemnification claims were preempted by CERCLA, a conclusion that we reiterate today. Bedford Affiliates, 156 F.3d at 427. [29] We also hold that the state law claims for unjust enrichment are preempted for substantially the same reasons as detailed above  allowing unjust enrichment claims for CERCLA expenses would again circumvent the settlement scheme, as PRPs could seek recompense for a legally unjustifiable benefit outside the limitations and conditions of CERCLA.