AMMCG attorneys have represented a number of clients in cases involving water and environmental issues. Examples include:
- Defended Atascadero Mutual Water Company (AMWC), one of the largest mutual water companies in the state, against claims that it was improperly extracting groundwater and that the extractions were occurring in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin which was allegedly suffering from overdraft. The court trial resulted in recognition of the Atascadero Sub-basin as a distinct and legally separate hydrologic unit from the much larger Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. It was further determined: (a) AMWC has a common law right to withdraw water from the Atascadero Sub-basin and (b) the Atascadero Sub-basin was not in a state of overdraft.
- Represented a set of landowners which collectively owned thousands of acres of farmland in the longstanding adjudication of the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin. Our clients, among others, executed a comprehensive settlement agreement with the area’s municipal and private water purveyors after a court trial established the basin was not currently in overdraft.
- Represented paint companies sued for violating Proposition 65, a statute which was enacted in 1986 to promote clean drinking water and to keep toxic substances that cause cancer and birth defects out of consumer products. Plaintiff claimed defendants failed to place proper warning labels on hundreds of thousands of commercial sign painting cans. Prior to trial, a demand was made for $100,000,000.00, reduced to $10,000,000.00 immediately before trial. The court issued a full defense verdict.
- Successfully defeated a legal challenge to the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority plastic bag ban.
- Our sister law firm, Robins Borghei LLP assist public water suppliers throughout California in cost-recovery litigation to remedy drinking water contamination. For more information on Robins Borghei, see www.rbwaterlaw.com.