Free Notice (Other) - District Court of Colorado - Colorado

Case 1:00-cv-02325-MSK-MEH

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO Case No. 00-cv-02325-MSK-OES SIERRA CLUB and MINERAL POLICY CENTER, Plaintiffs, vs. CRIPPLE CREEK AND VICTOR GOLD MINING COMPANY, ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI (COLORADO) CORP. ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI NORTH AMERICA INC. and GOLDEN CYCLE GOLD CORPORATION Defendants. and Civil Action No. 01-cv-02307-MSK-OES SIERRA CLUB and MINERAL POLICY CENTER, Plaintiffs, vs. CRIPPLE CREEK AND VICTOR GOLD MINING COMPANY, et al., ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI (COLORADO) CORP. ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI NORTH AMERICA INC. and GOLDEN CYCLE GOLD CORPORATION Defendants.

NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY TO PLAINTIFFS' LEGAL AUTHORITY SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF LIABILITY

Attached is a copy of the decision of the Tenth Circuit in Sierra Club and Mineral Policy Center v. El Paso Gold Mines, Inc., 03-1105 (D.C. No. 01-PC-2163 (OES)) (Aug. 24, 2005)

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(hereinafter referred to as the "El Paso decision") which is supplemental legal authority regarding Plaintiffs' Brief Identifying Legal Authority Supporting Elements of Liability, as follows: II. GENERAL LEGAL AUTHORITY REGARDING ELEMENTS OF LIABILITY IN CLEAN WATER ACT CASES AT ACTIVE AND INACTIVE MINE SITES. CASE LAW El Paso decision at 2 ("[t]he Clean Water Act... prohibits the discharge of any

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pollutant from a point source unless authorized by a permit issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES"). 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 1342. Under the Act, a `discharge of a pollutant' is defined as `any addition of any pollutant to navigable waters from any point source.' 33 U.S.C. § 1362(12)"). 9. El Paso decision at 17 ("...Section 301(a) of the CWA states that `the discharge

of any pollutant by any person shall be unlawful,' unless authorized by an NPDES permit. 33 U.S.C. § 1311(a). The CWA sets forth guidelines for the NPDES permits for the discharge of pollutants in Section 402, 33 U.S.C. § 1342. To establish a violation of these sections, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant (1) discharged (2) a pollutant (3) into navigable waters (4) from a point source (5) without a permit. Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n v. Gorsuch, 693 F.2d 156, 165 (D.C. Cir. 1982"). 10. El Paso decision at 22 ("When viewed as a whole, it is apparent the liability and

permitting sections of the Act focus on the point of discharge, not the underlying conduct that led to the discharge (citations omitted").

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III.

LEGAL AUTHORITY REJECTING DEFENDANTS' PURPORTED ELEMENT OF LIABILITY THAT THERE MUST BE THE DISCHARGE OF A POLLUTANT FROM THE "OUTSIDE WORLD" 1 AT MINE SITES. CASE LAW El Paso decision at 22 ("§ 1342(a)(1) (stating the EPA may `issue a permit for

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discharge of any pollutant'"). IV. LEGAL AUTHORITY SUPPORTING "OWNERS AND OPERATORS" OF MINES SITES AS THE LIABLE PARTIES UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT. 2 CASE LAW El Paso decision at 22 ("...the Act consistently refers to the obligations of the

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`owners and operators' of a point source, suggesting that successor land owners such as El Paso are covered by the Act's provisions if they are responsible for a functional point source"). 10. El Paso decision at 23 ("Although we agree the term `addition' implies

affirmative conduct, such a requirement is satisfied by the contemporaneous introduction of polluted water from El Paso's property, through a point source owned and maintained by El Paso, to a navigable stream, Cripple Creek"). 11. 12. El Paso decision at 23 ("...ownership of a point source will trigger liability"). El Paso decision at 26 ("...if the point source is `discharging,' the `person' who

owns or operates the point source is liable under the Act"). 13.
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El Paso Decision at 26 ("The better view is that point source owners ... can be

See, tendered Pretrial Order, p. 16, ftn. 9. In Defendants' Brief on Elements of Claims and Defenses, they argue that an "owner/operator" may not be liable under the CWA. See, Defendants' Brief on Elements of Claims and Defenses, pp. 5 & 7. Defendants' argument has been squarely rejected by the 10th Circuit's El Paso decision.

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liable for the discharge of pollutants occurring on their land, whether or not they acted in some way to cause the discharge (citations omitted)." 14. El Paso decision at 27 ("In sum, we hold that point source owners can be liable

under Sections 301(a) and 402 of the CWA for unpermitted discharges that occur from their land even if they are not actively mining their property"). DATED this 29th day of September 2005. Respectfully Submitted, s/ Randall M. Weiner ____________________ Randall M. Weiner Law Offices of Randall M. Weiner, P.C. 1942 Broadway, Suite 408 Boulder, Colorado 80302 (303) 938-3773 [email protected] John M. Barth Attorney at Law P.O. Box 409 Hygiene, CO 80533 (303) 774-8868 [email protected] Roger Flynn Jeff Parsons Western Mining Action Project P.O. Box 349 Lyons, CO 80540 (303) 823-5738 [email protected]

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on this 29th day of September, 2005, I electronically filed the foregoing NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY TO PLAINTIFFS' LEGAL AUTHORITY SUPPORTING ELEMENTS OF LIABILITY with the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification of such filing to the following e-mail addresses: [email protected] Eugene Riordan Vranesh & Raisch P.O. Box 871 Boulder, CO 80306 [email protected] Craig R. Carver Carver, Kirchhoff, Schwartz McNab & Bailey, P.C. 1600 Stout Street, Suite 1700 Denver, CO 80202 [email protected] John M. Barth P.O. Box 409 Hygiene, CO 80533 [email protected] Don Sherwood 10861 West 28th Place Denver, CO 80215 [email protected] Robert C. Troyer Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. 1200 17th Street, #1500 Denver, CO 80202 [email protected] Roger Flynn Jeff Parsons Western Mining Action Project P.O. Box 349 Lyons, CO 80540

s/ Randall M. Weiner __________________________________

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