Paul Hastings Represents City of Rialto in Favorable Environmental Settlement

December 06, 2012

San Francisco, CA

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, represented the City of Rialto in securing two settlements worth $4.7 million in cash payments (plus obtaining withdrawal of challenges to an existing additional settlement for $4 million) as well as a binding commitment to clean up contamination from the B.F. Goodrich Superfund Site in San Bernardino County.

This case is a significant victory for local governments getting reimbursed for their costs of pursuing responsible parties where EPA has taken jurisdiction, said Paul Hastings Real Estate and Environmental partner Peter Weiner. It is also a victory for our client's continuing central role in the cleanup of its water.

Under terms of the settlement, opposing parties agreed to remediate the contaminated groundwater, and to provide of $4.7 million in cash payments to our client Rialto, plus obtaining withdrawal of challenges to an existing additional settlement for $4 million. The victory is part of the United States $50 million settlement to clean up contamination from a dozen settling parties. Under one agreement, Emhart will perform the first portion of the cleanup, which is estimated to cost $43 million over the next 30 years to design, build, and operate groundwater wells, treatment systems, and other equipment needed to clean up the contaminated groundwater at the site.

As part of the second agreement Pyro Spectaculars Inc (PSI); Astro Pyrotechnics (a defunct subsidiary of PSI); Trojan Fireworks; Thomas O. Peters and related trusts; and Stonehurst Site, LLC will pay a combined $4.3 million to the EPA toward cleanup at the site and $1.3 million to the cities of Rialto and Colton and San Bernardino County.

Paul Hastings Real Estate and Environmental partner Peter Weiner, Real Estate partner Deborah Schmall and Litigation partner Dennis Ellis led the Paul Hastings team.

Paul Hastings LLP is a leading global law firm with offices in Asia, Europe, and the United States. We provide innovative legal solutions to financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. Please visit www.paulhastings.com for more information.