Opinion ID: 884360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The environmental contamination.

Text: While the District Court properly determined that the permit issue was largely beside the point, the issues of the extent of and responsibility for the pollution at Jim's Diesel were central to the resolution of this case. Lutes disputed the District Court's finding that he alone was responsible for the malfunction of the sump system and the consequent pollution, as well as the court's finding that the sump system had worked properly and without contamination throughout the time the Houdashelts owned the business. In disputing these findings, Lutes points out that his expert discovered trace amounts of a single contaminant in the abandoned leach line, which the Houdashelts had used to empty the sump until 1983. He argues that this testimony indicated that the sump system was pollutive long before he took over the business and that the pollution clean up, therefore, should be the responsibility of the Houdashelts. The Houdashelts, however, presented testimony from an expert whom they hired to determine the extent and location of the contamination. Their expert testified that the only significantly contaminated area, and the only area requiring environmental cleanup, was Pit 2, which was used solely by Lutes. The Houdashelts' expert further testified that the tests performed indicated that the leach line area required no remediation. In addition, the Houdashelts argued that the leach line could not possibly be a source of the extensive and recent contamination because it had not been used in over eight years. In identifying the source of the pollutants, the Houdashelts' expert testified: [I]t was apparent that the waste produced by the engine rebuilding process used at the shop generated little or no hazardous wastes and the illegal discharge of waste material into the floor drain was the cause of the contamination of the sump area. [I]f the system was operated properly, wastes generated at the site would be non-hazardous or the volume would be below regulated limits. The expert therefore concluded that it was Lutes' practice of dumping any and all liquid industrial waste down the sump which was the sole cause of the pollution. Lutes' expert contested this conclusion. It is well established that issues of evidentiary weight and witness credibility are within the province of the trial court, and that this Court will not substitute its judgment for that of the district court. In re Marriage of Abrahamson (1996), 278 Mont. 336, ___, 924 P.2d 1334, 1338, 53 St.Rep. 939, 341 (citing In re Adoption of J.M.G. (1987), 226 Mont. 525, 528, 736 P.2d 967, 969). If the evidence presented at trial conflicts, it is the function of the District Court to resolve such conflicts. Abrahamson, 924 P.2d at 1338 (quoting In re Marriage of Penning (1989), 238 Mont. 75, 78, 776 P.2d 1214, 1216). See also Rafanelli, 278 Mont. 28, 924 P.2d 242. While the testimony presented was not undisputed, the Houdashelts presented extensive evidence to show that the pollution problem was concentrated solely in Pit 2, which was used by Lutes alone. The Houdashelts called numerous witnesses who testified to Lutes' practice of indiscriminantly disposing of all waste into the sump, as well as his failure to clean the sump out or maintain it during his possession of the business. The Houdashelts also presented photographs showing the condition of the sump when they repossessed the business, and testified to the extensive effort they expended in cleaning and repairing the system. All this testimony was reflected in the District Court's finding that it was Lutes' misuse of the sump system which caused the pollution problem, as well as its findings that the sump worked correctly and without contamination prior to the sale of the business to Lutes. Upon review, we determine that these findings were not clearly erroneous.