Judge In Oil Spill Case: Port Operator Not A U.S. Agent; Coast Guard Not A Party

Mealey's ( February 14, 2023, 8:59 AM EST) -- SANTA ANA, Calif. — A nonprofit that regulates shipping commerce in San Pedro Bay is not an agent of the United States, and the U.S. Coast Guard is not a necessary party to the action arising from an oil spill allegedly caused by two vessels that struck and damaged a pipeline, a California federal judge found in rejecting the nonprofit’s motions to dismiss a third-party complaint and an intervenor complaint for damages....