Environmental disaster: release of claims: statute of limitations: attorneys' fees.

(1) Existing law provides that an obligation is extinguished by a release given to the debtor by the creditor, upon a new consideration, or in writing, with or without new consideration. A general release does not extend to claims the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor. Under this bill, a partial or interim payment or reimbursement, made in connection with an environmental disaster by the responsible polluter or any agent or entity related to the responsible polluter to any recipient, would not release the polluter from liability to the recipient for any claim related to the environmental disaster or for any future claim by the recipient against the polluter, or for both current and future claims. The bill would prohibit any such partial or interim payment or reimbursement from being conditioned upon the recipient's agreement to release the polluter from liability for any current or future claim. The bill would allow such a payment or reimbursement to any recipient to be credited against the liability of the polluter, agent, or entity to the recipient for any current or future claim that is related to the environmental disaster. Under the bill, a temporary or final settlement of any kind made in connection with an environmental disaster by the responsible polluter or any agent or entity related to the responsible polluter, to any claimant, would release the responsible polluter, agent, or entity from liability to the claimant only for acts, omissions, or injuries that are believed by the claimant to have occurred prior to the date of the settlement, and would not release any claim that is unknown to the claimant at the time of the settlement, occurs subsequent to the settlement, or that is unrelated to the environmental disaster. The bill would make any agreement in violation of those prohibitions that is entered into on or after February 1, 2017, void as a matter of law and against public policy. (2) Existing law establishes statutes of limitations for civil actions for injury or illness or wrongful death based upon exposure to a hazardous material or toxic substance other than asbestos, as specified. For injury or illness, the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury, or 2 years after the plaintiff becomes aware of, or reasonably should have become aware of, an injury, the physical cause of the injury, and sufficient facts to put a reasonable person on inquiry notice that the injury was caused or contributed to by the wrongful act of another, whichever occurs later. For wrongful death, the statute of limitations is no later than either 2 years from the date of the death of the plaintiff's decedent, or 2 years from the first date on which the plaintiff is aware of, or reasonably should have become aware of, the physical cause of the death and sufficient facts to put a reasonable person on inquiry notice that the death was caused or contributed to by the wrongful act of another, whichever occurs later. This bill would, notwithstanding the above provision, establish a statute of limitations of 3 years for specified civil actions for injury, illness, or wrongful death based upon exposure to a hazardous material or toxic substance other than asbestos. (3) Under existing law, except as attorneys' fees are specifically provided for by statute, the measure and mode of compensation of attorneys is left to the agreement of the parties. This bill would authorize the court, in any action for private nuisance against an environmental polluter defendant arising out of an environmental disaster for which the defendant has been adjudged civilly liable, upon motion, to award reasonable attorneys' fees to a prevailing plaintiff against the defendant. (4) This bill would limit the application of its provisions to damages caused by an environmental disaster that occurred at Southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon gas storage facility, as specified, or contamination surrounding the Exide Technologies facility in the City of Vernon. The bill would specify that its provisions do not apply to any action against a public entity, as defined. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for these regions.