Abstract
This chapter examines the importance of including a strong liability framework in any national legislation for site contamination. It considers the elements commonly used in national liability frameworks, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each. The discussion refers to concepts such as strict liability, polluter pays, joint and several liability and proportionate liability. The merits of the traditional ‘command and control’ approach and the more recent ‘voluntary cleanup’ approach are compared. The problem of funding the remediation of ‘orphan’ sites is also considered.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alberini A, Austin D (2001) Accidents waiting to happen: liability policy and toxic pollution releases. Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, pp 01–06
American Tort Reform Association (2012) Joint and several liability reform. Available at http://www.atra.org/issues/joint-and-several-liability-rule-reform
Anderson RC (2002) Incentive-based policies for environmental management in developing countries. Issue brief no. 02–07. Resources for the Future, Washington, DC
Association of Municipalities of Ontario (2009) The case for joint and several liability reform in Ontario
Bergkamp L (2001) Liability and environment: private and public law aspects of civil liability for environmental harm in an international context. Kluwer Law International, The Hague
Berveling S (2005) Legal issues regarding the sustainable management of contaminated soils with examples from Australia. Paper presented to the International Workshop on Strategies, Science and Law for the Conservation of the World Soil Resources, Selfoss, Iceland, 14–18 September 2005
Boyd J (1999) Environmental remediation law and economies in transition. Discussion paper no. 99–21. Resources for the Future, Washington, DC
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (2006) Recommended principles on contaminated sites liability
Canadian Environmental Law Association (2004) Preliminary submissions on the CCME brownfields issues and options paper
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Government of the United Kingdom (2012) Environmental Protection Act 1990: Part 2A—contaminated land statutory guidance
Dixon LS (1995) Superfund liability reform: Implications for transaction costs and Site cleanup
Economic References Committee, Australian Senate (2002) A review of public liability and professional indemnity insurance
EUROPA (Summaries of EU Legislation) (2004) Summary—environmental liability white paper. Available at http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/other/l28107_en.htm
Faure MG (ed) (2003) Deterrence, insurability and compensation in environmental liability: future developments in the European Union. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg/New York
Faure MG (2009) Regulatory strategies in environmental liability. In: Carfaggi F, Muir Watt H (eds) The regulatory function of European private law. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp 129–187
Fowler R (2007) Site contamination law and policy in Europe, North America and Australia—trends and challenges. Paper presented to the 8th meeting of the International Committee on Contaminated Land, Stockholm, 10–11 September 2007
Judy ML, Probst KN (2011) Superfund at 30. Vermont J Environ Law 11:191–247
Kelemen RD (2004) The politics of environmental policy in the United States and the European Union: Coercive federalism? In: Levin MA, Shapiro MM (eds) Transatlantic policymaking in an age of austerity: diversity and drift. Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC, pp 203–223
Kingsbury A (1998) Funding the remediation of contaminated land in Australia and New Zealand: the problem of orphan sites. Waikato Law Review, 6, 37. Available at http://www.austlii.edu.au/nz/journals/WkoLRev/1998/2.html
Kummer Peiry K (2005) Biosafety protocol process on liability and redress: food for thought on key issues. Kummer Eco Consult
Layard A (2006) The Europeanisation of contaminated land. In: Betlem G, Brans E (eds) Environmental liability in the EU: the 2004 Directive compared with US and Member State law. Cameron, London, pp 129–147
Luo Q, Catney P, Lerner D (2009) Risk-based management of contaminated land in the UK: lessons for China? J Environ Manage 90(2):1123–1134
Lyons JJ (1986–1987) Deep pockets and CERCLA: should Superfund liability be abolished? Stanford Environ Law J 6:271–344
Mirovitskaya N, Ascher W (eds) (2001) Guide to sustainable development and environmental policy, 2nd edn. Duke University Press, Durham
Page GW (1997) Contaminated sites and environmental cleanup: international approaches to prevention, remediation and reuse. Academic, San Diego
Preston B (2009) Sustainable development law in the courts: the polluter pays principle. Paper presented to the 16th Commonwealth Law Conference, Hong Kong, 7 April 2009
Richardson BJ (2002) Environmental regulation through financial organisations: comparative perspectives on the industrialised nations. Kluwer Law International, The Hague
Sheehan P, Firth S (2008) Client’s guide to contaminated land risk assessment. In Environ Indust Commission The Land Remediation Yearbook 2008:71
Sigman H, Stafford S (2011) Management of hazardous waste and contaminated land. Annual Rev Resour Econ 3:255–275
Thornton J (2009) Contaminated land: the latest developments. J Plann Environ Law 1:8–23
Underwood JM (2007) What’s happened to vicarious and joint and several liability? Chapter 33 questions you need to know. Paper presented to the 31st Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, Austin, Texas, 25–26 October 2007
United Nations Environment Programme/French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) (2005) Identification and management of contaminated sites: a methodological guide (2nd edn.)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2002) Memorandum—enforcement first for remedial action at Superfund sites
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2003) Interim guidance regarding criteria landowners must meet in order to qualify for bona fide prospective purchaser, contiguous property owner, or innocent landowner limitations on CERCLA liability
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2009) Memorandum—interim revisions to CERCLA judicial and administrative settlement models to clarify contribution rights and protection from claims following the Aviall and Atlantic Research Corporation decisions
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012a) De minimis/de micromis policies and models. Available at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/cleanup/superfund/unique.html#demin
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012b) Superfund liability. Available at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/cleanup/superfund/liability.html
United States Government Accountability Office (2009) Superfund: litigation has decreased and EPA needs better information on site cleanup and cost issues to estimate future program funding requirements. GAO-09-656
Waite A (2005) The quest for environmental law equilibrium. Environ Law Rev 7(1):34–62
Wilkerson WR, Church TW (1989) The gorilla in the closet: joint and several liability and the cleanup of toxic waste sites. Law Policy 11(4):425–449
World Bank (2007) Domestic environmental law. Available at http://www.oas.org/dsd/tool-kit/documentos/moduleii/domestic%20environmental%20law.pdf
Yeboah M (2008) United States v Atlantic Research: of settlement and voluntarily incurred costs. Harvard Environ Law Rev 32:279–291
Cases
Burlington N, Santa Fe Railway Co. v. United States (2009) 129 S. Ct. 1870, 1881 (United States)
Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520 (High Court of Australia)
Cooper Industries, Inc. v Aviall Services, Inc. (2004) 543 U.S. 157 (United States)
Corby Group Litigation v Corby Borough Council [2008] EWCA Civ 463, 8 May 2008 (United Kingdom)
R (National Grid Gas plc) v Environment Agency [2007] UKHL 30 (House of Lords) (United Kingdom)
Rylands v Fletcher [1868] UKHL 1 (House of Lords) (United Kingdom)
Smith v Inco Ltd, 2011 ONCA 628 (Ontario Court of Appeal)
Solutia, Inc. and Pharmacia Corp. v. McWane, Inc (2012) WL 695007 (11th Cir. March 6, 2012) (United States)
United States v. Atlantic Research Corporation (2007) 551 U.S. 128 (United States)
Other Legal Materials
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act 1980, 42 U.S.C. 9601 (United States)
Contaminated Sites Act 2003 (Western Australia)
Directive on Environmental Liability with regard to the Prevention and Remedying of Environmental Damage [2004] 2004/35/CE, O.J. L. 143/56-75 (European Union)
Environment Protection (Site Contamination) Amendment Act 2007 (South Australia)
Environmental Protection Act 1990 c. 43 (United Kingdom)
Oil and Gas Commission Levy and Orphan Site Reclamation Fund Tax Regulation 1998, B.C. Reg. 363/98 (British Columbia)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976, 42 U.S.C. 321 (United States)
Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act 2002, Pub. L. No. 107–118 (United States)
Soil Protection Act 1998 (Germany)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Brandon, E. (2013). Responsibility for Site Contamination. In: Global Approaches to Site Contamination Law. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5745-5_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5745-5_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5744-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5745-5
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)