ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – Honeywell is claiming that Citgo is responsible for much of the millions it has spent cleaning up the release of petroleum and related hazardous substances in the land areas around New York's Onodaga Lake.
Honeywell International Inc. filed a complaint Sept. 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York against Citgo Petroleum Corp. citing the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA).
In its complaint, Honeywell claims Citgo, "regularly spilled and leaked non-petroleum-related hazardous substances during its operations" in the area around Lake Onodaga known as Oil City, and is "liable for all contamination resulting from operations at the CITGO Terminal, including (without limitation) liability resulting from pre-1983 operations."
Honeywell alleges it restored 90 acres of wetlands and planted 1.1 million native plants around Onondaga Lake shore and tributaries to address the contamination and well as incurred costs.
Honeywell alleges one property known as SYW-12 in the suit on the lake's southern end was not used by it or its predecessors. It alleges the defendant contributed to the contamination with its operations at Oil City.
Honeywell seeks costs, a trial by jury and other just relief. It is represented by Dale Desnoyers of The Allen & Desnoyers Law Firm LLP in Albany, New York, and Brain Israel, Geoffrey Michael and Lauren Daniel of The Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer Law Firm LLP in Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York case number 5:19-CV-01219-GLS-ATB