Law360, New York (June 08, 2012, 12:34 PM ET) -- The final phase of a bench trial just concluded before Judge A. Howard Matz in the Central District of California and is under submission. The case is a rarity these days — a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) matter tried to its conclusion — and therefore stands to create important precedent, particularly as to the government’s allocation of liability when its own contractor’s actions led to contamination at a site.
The site in question, located in Santa Clarita, Calif., was home to operations...