Opinion ID: 6928537
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: mtca liability

Text: The plaintiffs, with the exception of Louisiana-Pacific, 9 argue we should reverse the district court’s dismissal of their claims under the Washington Model Toxics Control Act, Wash.Rev.Code Ann. § 70.105D.010 et seq. (Amended 1993). The district court dismissed the MTCA claims because it concluded the MTCA did not create a private cause of action, a holding which was later confirmed by the Washington Supreme Court. See Bird-Johnson Corp. v. Dana Corp., 119 Wash.2d 423, 833 P.2d 375 (1992). During the pendency of this appeal, the Washington legislature amended the MTCA to overturn Bird-Johnson. The plaintiffs brought this to our attention as authorized by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 28(j). Pursuant to our order, the parties filed supplemental briefs addressing the question whether the recent amendment to the MTCA should be applied retroactively to permit the plaintiffs to pursue their MTCA claims. The amended statute provides that Except as provided in RCW 70.-105D.040(4)(d), a person may bring a private right of action, including a claim for contribution or for declaratory relief, against any other person liable under RCW 70.105D.040 for the recovery of remedial action costs.... Remedial action costs shall include reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.... This section applies to all causes of action regardless of when the cause of action may have arisen. To the extent a cause of action has arisen prior, to the effective date of this act, this section applies retroactively, but in all other respects it applies prospectively. Act of May 12, 1993 ch. 70.105D 1993 Wash. Laws Reg.Sess., Subst.Senate Bill no. 5404, see. 1. The amended MTCA clearly creates a private right of action, and makes it retroactive to cover harms that have already occurred. ASARCO argues that the MTCA amendment was not intended to be retroactive to cases already decided by the trial court and pending on appeal. We reject this argument. When the legislature determines that the policy underlying a statute is so important that the statute will be applied retroactively, there is no logical reason not to apply the statute to cases currently before the court. Moreover, the general rule in Washington is that statutes that are retroactive apply to pending litigation. See, e.g., Seek Sys., Inc. v. Scully-Walton, Inc., 55 Wash.App. 318, 777 P.2d 560, 562 (1989), and the law applicable on appeal is the law at the time the appellate court issues its decision. Bradley v. Richmond School Bd., 416 U.S. 696, 711, 94 S.Ct. 2006, 2016, 40 L.Ed.2d 476 (1974); DeGurules v. I.N.S., 833 F.2d 861, 863 (9th Cir.1987). The amended statute, therefore, provides-a private cause of action to the plaintiffs. , ASARCO contends the plaintiffs have waived any right to assert claims under the MTCA because they failed to argue in their appellate briefs (except in the supplemental briefing which we ordered) that the district court erréd in dismissing their MTCA claims. We reject this argument. 10 In DeGurules, we considered substantially the same question. There, the INS relied on I.N.S. v. Phinpathya, 464 U.S. 183, 104 S.Ct. 584, 78 L.Ed.2d 401 (1984), in ruling that petitioners were deportable because they had not met 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(l)’s seven-year strictly continuous physical presence requirement. Before we issued our decision in De-Gurules, however, Congress overturned Phinpathya by amending section 1254 to provide that “brief, casual, and innocent” absences from the United States would not prevent a finding that presence was continuous. 8 U.S.C. § 1254(b)(3). Even though the petitioners had not argued on appeal that they could be allowed “brief, casual, and innocent” absences, we held that they had not waived this argument. DeGurules, 833 F.2d at 863. We applied the new law retroactively. Id. at 864. The DeGurules analysis applies with equal force here. The plaintiffs filed timely notices of appeal from the district court’s dismissal of their MTCA claims, but when the propriety of the district court’s ruling was confirmed by the Washington Supreme Court in Bird-Johnson, they did not challenge the district court’s ruling in their appellate briefs. At the time it would have been foolish for them to do so. When the Washington legislature changed the law, however, the plaintiffs promptly brought this to our attention, we ordered supplemental briefing, and both sides have now had a full and fair opportunity to brief the merits of their respective positions. In these circumstances, we conclude the plaintiffs have not waived the right to challenge the dismissal of their MTCA claims. The district court dismissed those claims on the sole ground that the MTCA did not provide a priyate right of action. The district court did not consider the merits of the claims or whether there was any other impediment to the plaintiffs pursuing them. If the plaintiffs are entitled to prevail on their MTCA claims, attorney fees are recoverable. We reverse the district court’s dismissal of the MTCA claims. We remand to it the question whether the plaintiffs are entitled to prevail on those claims and, if so, what damages, attorney fees and other recovery they may be entitled to.