June 18, 2007

New Supreme Court Ruling Greenlights Brownfield Development – A ruling last week clears way for redevelopers to sue polluters and recover cleanup costs

Owners and developers of polluted properties in Oregon got a big boost from the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday when it ruled private parties that voluntarily clean polluted sites can sue other responsible parties for the costs. The unanimous decision in U.S. v. Atlantic Research Corp. affirmatively answered a significant question that had been lingering after an earlier Supreme Court ruling and now clears the way for owners and developers of what are known as brownfields to redevelop their properties and recover their cleanup costs. View full article (PDF).

This article first appeared in the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce.