No. 17-1498October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020
Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Christian
This case asked whether property owners within a federal Superfund cleanup site can use state-law claims to seek additional cleanup work beyond the remedy approved by the EPA.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
This case asked whether property owners within a federal Superfund cleanup site can use state-law claims to seek additional cleanup work beyond the remedy approved by the EPA. It also asked whether those landowners count as potentially responsible parties under CERCLA, meaning they would need EPA approval before carrying out any such restoration work.
Question presented
1. Whether a common-law claim for restoration seeking cleanup remedies that conflict with EPA-ordered remedies is a "challenge" to EPA's cleanup jurisdictionally barred by § 113 of CERCLA. 2. Whether a landowner at a Superfund site is a "potentially responsible party" that must seek EPA's approval under CERCLA § 122(e)(6) before engaging in remedial action, even if EPA has never ordered the landowner to pay for a cleanup. 3. Whether CERCLA preempts state common-law claims for restoration that seek cleanup remedies that conflict with EPA-ordered remedies.
- Case path
Supreme Court of Montana / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology