Opinions of the United 1994 Decisions States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

10-17-1994 IN RE: Paoli Railroad Yard PCB Litigation Precedential or Non-Precedential: Docket 92-1995-1997, 92-1999-2010, 92-2014 & 92-2016

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1994 Recommended Citation "IN RE: Paoli Railroad Yard PCB Litigation" (1994). 1994 Decisions. Paper 158. http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1994/158

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT ____________ NO. 92-1995 ____________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION MABEL BROWN, Individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); AND CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; ROY F. WESTON, INC.; and OH MATERIALS COMPANY; and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; and THE BUDD COMPANY; and WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; MONSANTO CO.; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION Mabel Brown, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-02229)

____________ NO. 92-1996 ____________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION GEORGE ALBERT BURRELL and PRISCILLA ETHERIDGE BURRELL, in their own right, and GEORGE ALBERT BURRELL and PRISCILLA ETHERIDGE BURRELL, as parents and natural guardian of AMBER SHARDAI BURRELL, a minor, and GEORGE ALBERT BURRELL, as parent and natural guardian of ANDRE WALKER, a minor, and PRISCILLA ETHERIDGE BURRELL, as parent and natural guardian of BOBBY GEORGE ALBERT CHRISTIAN BURRELL, a minor v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); and NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; MONSANTO COMPANY; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION v. PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION George Burrell, Priscilla Burrell, Amber Burrell and Monica Hilton, Appellants (D.C. Civ. No. 86-02235)

____________ NO. 92-1997 ____________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION WALLACE DARRYL CUMMINS v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); AND NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); AND CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION, ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; MONSANTO COMPANY Wallace D. Cummins, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-02669)

____________ NO. 92-1999 ____________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION K. LOUISE JONES, ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF HARVEY N. JONES, JR., DECEASED AND K. LOUISE JONES AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF HARVEY N. JONES, JR., AND K. LOUISE JONES IN HER OWN RIGHT v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION, ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; MONSANTO COMPANY; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; AND WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION K. Louise Jones and Harvey Jones, Appellants (D.C. Civ. No. 86-05277)

___________ NO. 92-2000 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION JAMES LAMENT, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. SEPTA; AMTRAK and CONRAIL; v. PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; MONSANTO CO.; GENERAL ELECTRIC CO; BUDD CO., AND WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION James Lament, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-05886)

___________ NO. 92-2001 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CHRISTOPHER S. BROWN; JACQUELINE M. BROWN, h/w v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION; CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION

Christopher Brown and Jacqueline Michelle Brown, Appellants (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07414)

___________ NO. 92-2002 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CATHLENE BROWN, Appellant v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION v. PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION (D.C. Civ. No. 92-2002)

___________ NO. 92-2003 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CRAIG A. BROWN AND CATHERINE D. BROWN h/w v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION; AND CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.; THE BUDD CO.; AND WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP. Craig Brown, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07416)

___________ NO. 92-2004 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION MARGHERITA BARBETTA, Appellant v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; and CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; AND THE BUDD COMPANY; AND WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION v. PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07417)

___________ NO. 92-2005 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION MARY RETTA JOHNSON, Appellant v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; AND THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; and WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; and PENN CENTRAL CORP. (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07418)

___________ NO. 92-2006 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CELESTE BROWN, Appellant v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07419)

___________ NO. 92-2007 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CLEMMON L. BROWN v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; AND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; AND WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; AND PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION Clemmon Brown, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07420) ___________ NO. 92-2008 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CLOYD H. BROWN v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION Cloyd Brown, Appellant (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07421)

___________ NO. 92-2009 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION CURTIS BROWN, Appellant v. MONSANTO COMPANY; SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA v. GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; and THE BUDD COMPANY; and WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY; PENN CENTRAL CORP. (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07422)

___________ NO. 92-2010 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION JOHN INGRAM, SR., and PATRICIA INGRAM, in their own right and as parents and natural guardians of JOHN INGRAM, JR.; and APRIL INGRAM in her own right v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL"); and MONSANTO COMPANY ("MONSANTO"); and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY ("GE"); and CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ("PHILADELPHIA") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION John Ingram, Sr. (and as representative of decedent, Patricia Ingram), John Ingram, Jr., Patricia Ingram and April Ingram Robinson-Ray, Appellants (D.C. Civ. No. 86-07561)

___________ NO. 92-2011 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION MARY ALICE KNIGHT, Appellant v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL"); and MONSANTO COMPANY ("MONSANTO"); and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY ("GE"); and CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ("PHILADELPHIA") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION (D.C. Civ. No. 87-00712) ___________ NO. 92-2014 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION WILLIAM BUTLER; THERESA BUTLER; MARVIN L. SIMPSON; ALLEN K. SIMPSON; KAREN R. SIMPSON; DONALD E. SIMPSON; and BRYAN M. JACKSON v. SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; MONSANTO COMPANY; GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION William Butler, Theresa Butler, Bryan Jackson, Allen Simpson, Donald Simpson, Karen Simpson and Marvin Simpson, Appellants (D.C. Civ. No. 87-02874)

___________ NO. 92-2016 ___________ IN RE: PAOLI RAILROAD YARD PCB LITIGATION MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM; AND BESSIE CUNNINGHAM, Appellants v. MONSANTO COMPANY; and SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ("SEPTA"); and NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION ("AMTRAK"); and CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION ("CONRAIL") v. GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; THE BUDD COMPANY; WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION; PENN CENTRAL CORPORATION, Third-Party Defendants

_________________________________ On Appeal From the United States District Court For the Eastern District of Pennsylvania _________________________________ Argued: October 26, 1993 Before: BECKER, ROTH, and LEWIS, Circuit Judges.

(Filed ) ARNOLD E. COHEN Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg, Ellers & Weir 1401 Walnut Street, 8th Fl.

Philadelphia, PA 19102 and JOSEPH C. KOHN MYLES H. MALMAN MARTIN J. D'URSO (ARGUED) Kohn, Nast & Graf 2400 One Reading Center 1101 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 Attorneys for Appellants Mabel Brown (1995); George Burrell, Priscilla Burrell, Amber Burrell, and Monica Hilton (1996); Wallace D.

Cummins (1997); K. Louise Jones and Estate of Harvey Jones (1999); James Lament (2000); John Ingram, Sr., Patricia Ingram, April Ingram Robinson and John Ingram, Jr. (2010); Mary Knight (2011); William Butler, Theresa Butler, Marvin Simpson, Alan Simpson, Karen Simpson, Donald Simpson and Brian Jackson (2014); Bessie Cunningham and Matthew Cunningham (2016)

D. BRUCE HANES (ARGUED) D. Bruce Hanes and Associates, P.C.

1700 Market Street Suite 3131 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorney for Appellants Christopher Brown, Jacqueline M. Brown (2001); Cathlene Brown (2002); Craig Brown (2003); Margherita Barbetta (2004); Mary Retta Johnson (2005); Celeste Brown (2006); Clemmon Brown (2007); Cloyd Brown (2008) and Curtis Brown (2009)

JOHN G. KESTER (ARGUED) JOHN W. VARDAMAN, JR. SARAH H. DUGGIN PHILIP A. SECHLER Williams & Connolly 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 HARRY A. SHORT, JR. STEPHEN M. McMANUS Liebert, Short & Hirschland 1901 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorneys for Appellee General Electric Company

ROGER F. COX JEROME R. RICHTER JOHN J. MONSEES Blank, Rome, Comisky & McCauley 1200 Four Penn Center Plaza Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorneys for Appellees Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and The Penn Central Corporation

MICHAEL M. MALIN THOMAS M. GOUTMAN KATHY A. O'NEILL ROBERT ROLAND, II White and Williams One Liberty Place 1650 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorneys for Appellee Monsanto Company

RICHARD A. KRAEMER SUZANNE H. GROSS Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman and Goggin 1845 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorneys for Appellee National Railroad Passenger Corporation

ROBERT A. SUTTON Assistant City Solicitor City of Philadelphia Law Department 1600 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attorney for Appellee The City of Philadelphia

G. DANIEL BRUCH, JR. Schwartz, Campbell & Detweiller 1700 Land Title Building South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19110 DAVID C. LANDIN McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe East Cary Street One James Center Richmond, VA 23219 Attorneys for Appellee Westinghouse Electric Corporation

LAURA A. FOGGAN STEPHEN D. GOLDMAN Wiley, Rein & Fielding 1776 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 Attorneys for Amicus Curiae Appellee American Insurance Association R. THOMAS McLAUGHLIN Kelly, Harrington, McLaughlin & Foster 1700 Atlantic Building South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Attorneys for Appellee The Budd Company

________________________________ ORDER AMENDING OPINION ________________________________

The opinion in the above-captioned case filed August 31, 1994, is amended as follows: 1) On page 58, lines 10 and 11, the words "promulgated under the Rules Enabling Act" are deleted from that sentence; 2) On page 59, second paragraph, lines 3 and 4, the phrase "promulgated under the Rules Enabling Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2072," is deleted from that sentence; and 3) On the last line of text on page 144, substitute the name "Patricia" for "Priscilla".

BY THE COURT,

/s/ Edward R. Becker Circuit Judge

DATED: October 17, l994