No. 20-382October Term 2020Decided May 24, 2021
Guam v. United States
Guam sought to make the United States help pay for cleaning up the Ordot Dump, a landfill the Navy created and used for decades.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released May 24, 2021
- What it's about
Guam sought to make the United States help pay for cleaning up the Ordot Dump, a landfill the Navy created and used for decades. The case asked whether a 2004 consent decree settling Clean Water Act claims against Guam also triggered CERCLA’s contribution provisions and blocked Guam from later suing the federal government under CERCLA to recover cleanup costs.
Question presented
1. Whether a non-CERCLA settlement can trigger a contribution claim under CERCLA Section 113(f)(3)(B). 2. Whether a settlement that expressly disclaims any liability determination and leaves the settling party exposed to future liability can trigger a contribution claim under CERCLA Section 113(f)(3)(B).
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit / Decision released May 24, 2021
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided May 24, 2021
The Court released its decision on May 24, 2021 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology