COM. OF PUERTO RICO v. M/V EMILY S

Nos. Civ. 94-1019CCC, Civ. 97-1047CCC, Civ. 94-1058CCC, Civ. 94-1919CCC, Civ. 95-1020CCC, Civ. 97-1020CCC.

13 F.Supp.2d 147 (1998)

The COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO on its own behalf, and as Public Trustee and as Parens Patriae for the Citizens of the Commonwealth, the Environmental Quality Board of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Department of Natural Resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Plaintiffs, v. The M/V EMILY S and the Barge Morris J. Berman, in rem; Metlife Capital Corporation, Peter Frank, Bunker Group Puerto Rico, Inc., Bunker Group, Inc.; Park Lane Associates, Pedro Rivera, New England Marine Services, Inc., ABC Insurance Company and DEF Insurance Company in personam, Defendants. Yaacov EISAK, Intervening Plaintiff, Raul Horta-Gonzalez, Diega Castillo-Hernandez, Adolfo Arnau-Sanchez, Rosa Alday-de-Arnau, Mari Rodriguez-Herrero, Lilian Rodriguez-Herrero, Maite Maldonado-Hernandez, Margarita RiveraMarrero, Antonio Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Martina Espirio-Rosario, Fernando Biascochea, Lucia Polanco-Martinez, Rafaela Castillo-de-Paula, Pedro Umpierre, Hector Sanfelis, Eddie Mejias, Rogelio Gonzalez, Ucrania Martinez-Polanco, Jacinta Acosta-Alcequiez, Isabel Martinez-de-la-Cruz, Eduardo Feliz-Reyes, Juan Valerio Florio-Gonzalez, Maria Araya-Gonzalez, Daniel Nieves-Molina, Dulce Maria Contreras, Olivia Fernandez-Grullon, Jorge Espinosa, Cristina Barne, Maria A. Peña-Carrasco, Amalia Perez, Altagracia Lopez, and Jorge Luis Matos, Plaintiffs representative of proposed class, Cafe St. Elmo, Inc., Havana San Juan Corp., Oasis Restaurant, Inc., Eddie Mejias d/b/a Souvenir Shop, Individual Plaintiffs, v. The TUG EMILY S, and the Barge Morris J. Berman, Defendants in rem. A. Clyde Pruitt; Emily S. Pruitt, Peter Frank; John Doe and/or Richard Doe; New England Marine Services, Inc.; Evelyn Berman Frank, Susan Frank; Jim Doe and/or Sam Doe; Standard Tank Co.; Peter Doe; Bunkers Group of Puerto Rico; Caribbean Petroleum Corporation; Jimmy Doe; Insurance Companies and/or P & I Clubs "A" through "J", Defendants in personam. ESCAMBRON BEACH CLUB, INC., Plaintiff, v. M/V EMILY S, Barge Morris J. Berman, In rem; New England Marine Services, Inc., A. Clyde Pruitt; Emily S. Pruitt, Doe Company, Richard Roe, Defendants. In the Matter of the Complaint of METLIFE CAPITAL CORPORATION, as owner of the Tub "Emily S," for Exoneration from or Limitation of Liability; Elga GONZALEZ-MEJIAS and her son Johan Marquez-Gonzalez; Petra Velez-Gonzalez and her children; Reynaldo De-Jesus-Hernandez and his wife Altagracia Lozada-Otero and their conjugal partnership; Waldistrudi Guzman-Luciano and their children Jean O. Osorio-Guzman and Orlando Osorio-Guzman; Miguel Paez-de-Leon and his wife Neida Romano and their conjugal partnership and their children Lidio L. PaezRomano, Ulisis Paez-Romano and Patricia Paez-Romano; Nereida Berrios Berrios and her husband Juan Arriaga and their conjugal partnership, Plaintiffs, v. The M/V EMILY S and the Barge Morris J. Berman, In rem; Metlife Capital Corporation Peter Frank, Bunker Group Puerto Rico, Inc., Bunker Group, Inc; Park Lane Associates, Pedro Rivera, New England Marine Services, Inc, ABC Insurance Company and DEF Insurance Company In personam, Defendants. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. METLIFE CAPITAL CORPORATION, INC., New England Marine Services, Inc., Bunker Group, Inc., Bunker Group Puerto Rico, Inc.; Caribbean Petroleum Corporation, Inc., Puerto Rico Operations, Inc.; Global Insurance Company, S.A., Utica Mutual Insurance Company; American Home Assurance Company Reliance National Insurance Company; The Travelers Insurance Company; Westchester Fire Insurance Company; Royal Insurance; Reliance Insurance Company Of New York; Royal Insurance Company of America; Continental Insurance Company; Certain Underwriters Through Insco Marine, Inc.; Certain Underwriters Through Insco Marine Property & Casualty Limited; Water Quality Insurance Syndicate; London & Hull Maritime Insurance Company, Ltd., Axa T A/C; Yorkshire Insurance Co., Ltd.; L A/C, Norwich Union Fire Ins. Society, Ltd. No. 1 A/C, Cornhill Insurance P/C D A/C Phoenix Assurance P/C Phoenix Assurance P/C LSA A/C, Zurich Re (UK) Ltd., Hansa Marine Insurance Company (UK) Ltd.; Prudential Assurance Company Ltd. Trust A/C No. 2, Sphere Drake Insurance Co. (UK) Ltd., Anglo American Insurance Company Limited, Defendants.

United States District Court, D. Puerto Rico.

May 13, 1998.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Jose E. Alfaro-Delgado, Jose E. Alfaro, Law Office, San Juan, PR, for Metlife Capital Corp.

Fernando Compoamor-Sanchez, Mee Lon Lam, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Torts Branch Civil Div., Washington, DC, for U.S.

Jorge Carazo-Quotglas, Toledo Toledo & Carazo-Quotglas, Hato Rey, PR, for plaintiffs in civil 94-1047CCC.

William A. Graffam, Jimenez, Graffam & Lausell, San Juan, PR, for Bunker Group P.R., Bunker Group, Inc., New England, ME.

Jose A. Fuontos-Agestial, Atty. Gen., Dept. of Justice of PR, San Juan, PR, for Commonwealth of P.R.

John F. Novares, Smith & Novares, San Juan, PR, for cntdft.

Isabel Munoz-Acesta, U.S. Attorney's Office Dist. of P.R., Civil Div., Hato Rey, PR, for cntdft.

Eric M. Quotglas-Jordan, San Juan, PR, for clm.

Zygmunt Q. Slominski, Quaynahe, PR, for conpla.


ORDER

CEREZO, Chief Judge.

The Court has before it the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by Metlife Capital Corporation (MCC) (docket entry 245), in which, among the dispositive arguments raised, is that MCC cannot be considered a "responsible party" under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 2701, et seq. MCC bases its claim on the fact that no oil was discharged from the tug it owns, the M/V EMILY S, during the spill...

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