NANCY TORRESEN, Chief District Judge.
Before me is Defendant Canadian Pacific Railway Co.'s ("
On June 29, 2013, a train known as "
Canadian Pacific operated Train 282 from New Town to Cote Saint-Luc, Québec. There, it transferred control of the train to Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd. ("
At about 11:25 p.m. on July 5, 2013, MMA stopped Train 282 for the evening in Nantes, Québec. Shortly after midnight, the Nantes Fire Department was called to put out a fire in one of Train 282's locomotives. The train's lead engine was powered down to allow firefighters to put down the blaze, and the fire was extinguished by 12:15 a.m. on July 6, 2013. Firefighters turned the train over to the custody of an MMA employee, who allegedly left the scene without restarting the lead engine.
Without power from a running locomotive, Train 282's air-brake system lost power and the train began rolling downhill toward Lac-Mégantic. It reached downtown at around 1:15 a.m. and derailed, causing many of its tank cars to rupture. Large explosions and a massive, uncontrolled fire followed. Forty-seven people were killed.
Lawsuits against MMA mounted in the weeks following the accident, including wrongful death claims filed in Cook County, Illinois (later transferred to this District) and a proposed class action filed in the Superior Court of the Province of Québec. Facing massive potential liability, MMA petitioned for chapter 11 bankruptcy in this District on August 7, 2013. MMA's Canadian subsidiary initiated a parallel bankruptcy case in the Superior Court of the Province of Québec. On August 21, 2013, Robert Keach was appointed as the trustee of the bankruptcy estate in the U.S. case (the "
To date, MMA's purported creditors have filed nearly 500 proofs of claim
In response, the Trustee initiated an adversary proceeding, filing a complaint both: (1) objecting to the allowance of the claims filed by the World Fuel Affiliates and Canadian Pacific; and (2) asserting common law negligence claims against Canadian Pacific, three of the World Fuel Affiliates, and Irving. Keach v. World Fuel Services Corp. (In re Montreal, Me. & Atlantic Ry., Ltd.), Bk. No. 13-10670, Adversary Proceeding No. 14-1001, Doc. No. 95, First Am. Compl., ("
The complaint implicates the Defendants under two main theories of liability. First, it alleges that the Defendants had duties to evaluate whether the train's load was classified properly and that they breached those duties by classifying it as low volatility "Packing Group III" cargo rather than high volatility "Packing Group I" cargo. Tr.'s Am. Compl. ¶¶ 7-8, 111. Had they properly classified the crude oil, the complaint alleges, MMA would have operated Train 282 under more stringent protocols that would have prevented the derailment altogether. Tr.'s Am. Compl. ¶ 83. Second, it alleges that the Defendants had a duty to ensure that the cargo was packaged safely, and that they breached that duty by shipping the crude oil in unsuitable non-retrofitted DOT-111 tank cars. Tr.'s Am. Compl. ¶¶ 9, 111. Had they shipped the crude oil in stronger tank cars, the complaint alleges, the derailment would not have caused nearly as much damage. Tr.'s Am. Compl. ¶¶ 9-11, 114.
The complaint also narrows in on a more specific legal theory of why Canadian Pacific should bear liability for the Lac-Mégantic disaster despite its limited role in the events preceding it. It asserts that Canadian Pacific "had reasonable grounds to suspect that the classification of the crude oil shipment was incorrect" and therefore "had an affirmative duty to not carry the shipment or to stop the shipment until the classification was correct." Tr.'s Am. Compl. ¶ 108. The Trustee clarified at oral argument that this is the only claim he intends to bring against Canadian Pacific.
The Trustee's complaint was automatically referred to the Bankruptcy Court under 28 U.S.C. § 157(a) and Local Rule 83.6. In lieu of filing an answer, Canadian Pacific filed the motion before me, requesting the withdrawal of the reference pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(d). See Can. Pac.'s Mem. of Law in Support of Mot. to Withdraw Reference (ECF No. 1-1) ("
Article I of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress to pass "uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies." U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 4. Under this grant of authority, Congress passed the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 (the "
The Act also provides that "[e]ach district court may provide that . . . all cases under title 11 and . . . all proceedings arising under title 11 or arising in or related to a case under title 11 shall be referred to the bankruptcy judges for the district." 28 U.S.C. § 157(a). The District of Maine has established a standing rule, Local Rule 83.6, which does just that.
Another 1984 Act provision, 28 U.S.C. § 157(d), permits and in some cases requires district courts to withdraw the reference of a proceeding from a bankruptcy judge. It provides as follows:
28 U.S.C. § 157(d) (emphasis added).
As the above passage shows, Section 157(d) contains two prongs: (1) a federal law prong;
Canadian Pacific argues that the standard for withdrawal under the federal law prong is met here because the Trustee's claim against it will require consideration of federal railroad law, including the Federal Railroad Safety Act's ("
I address Canadian Pacific's argument for withdrawal of the reference under Section 157(d)'s federal law prong in light of both of the Trustee's counterarguments.
As a threshold matter, the federal law prong requires withdrawal of the reference only if this Court can make an "affirmative determination" that resolution of the claims hinges on non-Code federal law. White Motor, 42 B.R. at 705. The Trustee and Canadian Pacific dispute whether the Trustee's claims will involve the consideration of federal law. Canadian Pacific takes the position that the adversary proceeding will be governed by the FRSA, which will preempt any common law standards of care. See Can. Pac.'s Mot. 7-27. Canadian Pacific contends that under the FRSA, shippers/consignors and receivers/consignees bear exclusive responsibility for the classification of dangerous substances, and a mere carrier like itself has no duty in that regard. See Can. Pac.'s Mot. 21-22. The Trustee argues that Canadian substantive law will decide his claims, not U.S. federal railroad law, noting that his complaint concerns Canadians killed and injured in a derailment on Canadian soil. Tr.'s Opp'n to Can. Pac.'s Mot. 7-9 (ECF No. 17) ("
Neither party briefed the choice-of-law principles that would govern this question.
At the center of the parties' dispute over whether U.S. or Canadian law governs are three Canadian regulations. See Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations ("
Canadian TDGRs § 2.2(6)
The second regulation, which I will refer to as the "
Canadian TDGRs § 10.1(1).
The third regulation, which I will call the "
Citing the Adoption of U.S. Regulations Provision, Canadian Pacific argues that even if Canadian law applies, it merely refers back to U.S. federal railroad regulations. The Trustee acknowledges the Adoption of U.S. Regulations Provision, but argues that the Forbidden Goods Exception applies. He claims that the misclassified crude oil at issue was "forbidden for transport" because the Carrier Classification Duty required Canadian Pacific to stop the shipment, as it had reasonable grounds to suspect the shipment was misclassified.
Canadian Pacific's reply does not address the Trustee's argument except to assert in conclusory fashion that it "make[s] no sense." Can. Pac.'s Reply to Tr.'s Opp'n 4 (ECF No. 19) ("
In an abundance of caution, I also analyze whether withdrawal would be required under the test laid out in White Motor if I assume federal railroad law governs, as Canadian Pacific urges.
Courts read the language of Section 157(d)'s federal law prong narrowly, to require to withdrawal of the reference only if the Court can make an "affirmative determination" that resolving the claims will require "substantial and material consideration" of non-Code federal law. White Motor, 42 B.R. at 705 (emphasis added).
The holdings of two federal law prong cases discussed in the parties' briefing provide useful signposts for applying the White Motor test. In the first, Security Investor Protection Corp. v. Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, 454 B.R. 307 (S.D.N.Y. 2011), the standard for withdrawal was met where the movant demonstrated that the question of whether the suit against it was completely preempted depended on a novel and open question of statutory interpretation. Id. at 313-14. At issue was whether a bankruptcy trustee bringing a suit asserting the rights of Madoff's defrauded customers should be counted as a single "person" (i.e. a single bankruptcy estate) or as many "persons" (i.e. many defrauded customers) for purposes of determining whether the trustee's suit was a "covered class action" and preempted under the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act. Id. at 313-14. By contrast, in American Body Armor & Equipment v. Clark, 155 B.R. 588 (M.D. Fla. 1993), the standard for withdrawal was not met where the movant merely demonstrated that provisions of the Securities Exchange Act and certain SEC regulations would be determinative, not that the deciding court would have to resolve any legal "complexities or conflicts" to apply them. Id. at 590. At issue was whether majority shareholders in a corporation failed to comply with U.S.C. § 78n(c) and 17 C.F.R. § 240.14c-2, which require certain companies to distribute information statements to unsolicited security holders before taking corporate action. Id. at 589.
Canadian Pacific argues that the FRSA's express preemption clause displaces any state law governing the Trustee's adversary proceeding. See 49 U.S.C. § 20106; Norfolk S. Ry. Co. v. Shanklin, 529 U.S. 344, 347 (2000). The text of that express preemption clause has three main functional parts: (1) a baseline preemption rule; (2) a local hazard exception; and (3) a clarification.
49 U.S.C. § 20106(b)(1)(A). Congress added this clarifying language to the statute in 2007, in response to Lundeen v. Canadian Pacific Railway Co., a case where the Eighth Circuit erroneously held that the FRSA preempted all state negligence claims, even negligence per se claims invoking only a federal standard of care. 447 F.3d 606, 612-15 (8th Cir. 2006), overruled after Congressional clarification by 532 F.3d 682 (8th Cir. 2008); see also Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-53, § 1528, 121 Stat. 266, 453; H.R. Rep. No. 110-259, at 351 (2007) (Conf. Rep.).
Taken as a whole, the FRSA's preemption clause, as clarified by Congress, establishes a straightforward legal framework. To determine whether a state law, regulation, or order concerning railroad safety is preempted, a court must first determine whether DOT has issued a valid regulation or order related to railroad safety covering the subject matter at issue. If so, the state standard is preempted, unless the local hazard exception applies. If not, the state standard is not preempted.
According to Canadian Pacific's motion, DOT regulations cover the subject matter at issue in this case and Canadian Pacific did not violate those regulations. More specifically, the motion argues that valid DOT regulations place the duty of ensuring that crude oil is properly classified on shippers, not common carriers like Canadian Pacific, see 49 C.F.R. § 173.22, and Canadian Pacific therefore had no duty to stop Train 282 even if its cargo was misclassified. See Crockett v. Uniroyal, Inc., 772 F.2d 1524, 1534 (11th Cir. 1985).
Canadian Pacific has presented a simple, coherent argument that the FRSA would require a court hearing this proceeding to dismiss the claims against it. What Canadian Pacific has failed to demonstrate is why that court would have to engage in anything beyond routine application of current law to do so.
Though Canadian Pacific tries to kick up some dust to make the relevant analysis seem complicated, it clears quickly on closer inspection. First, Canadian Pacific points out that courts disagreed about how to apply the FRSA preemption scheme in the past. Can. Pac.'s Mot. 13-14. But as its own briefing reveals, that judicial confusion was cleared up in 2007, when Congress added clarifying language to the statute. Second, Canadian Pacific notes that the regulations at issue were actually promulgated under the authority of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act ("
Essentially, Canadian Pacific's briefing identifies its possible route to victory, but no counter-arguments, complexities, or true matters of first impression. On the current record, this proceeding more closely resembles American Body Armor, where the moving party merely showed that resolving the claim required application of federal statutes and regulations to new facts, than Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, where the moving party identified both a genuinely novel legal issue and persuasive arguments on either side of it. Even assuming that the court adjudicating this adversary proceeding would have to apply federal railroad law to resolve the Trustee's claims, Canadian Pacific has failed to demonstrate that doing so would require substantial and material consideration of that law.
A party moving for withdrawal under Section 157(d)'s cause prong bears the burden of establishing that withdrawal is warranted. Turner v. Boyle, 425 B.R. 20, 24 (D. Me. 2010). The statute does not define the term "cause," but courts deciding the issue typically consider four goals: (1) "promoting uniformity in bankruptcy administration"; (2) "reducing forum shopping and confusion"; (3) "fostering the economical use of the debtors' and creditors' resources"; and (4) "expediting the bankruptcy process."
The consideration of these goals is affected by two limits on bankruptcy judges' powers. First, if the Bankruptcy Court lacks the authority to enter a final judgment and would only be able to issue proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law for the district court to review de novo, see U.S. Const. art. III, § 1, 28 U.S.C. § 157(c)(1), Stern v. Marshall, 131 S.Ct. 2594 (2011), Exec. Benefits Ins. Agency v. Arkison (In re Bellingham), 134 S.Ct. 2165 (2015),
The proceeding at issue is just a small piece in a sprawling, ten-figure bankruptcy case with many, many moving parts.
Canadian Pacific argues that a different result is warranted because the Trustee's negligence claim falls under the holding of Stern v. Marshall and because Canadian Pacific is entitled to and plans to demand a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment and 28 U.S.C. 157(e). However, I need not decide whether Canadian Pacific is correct about the application of Article III and the Seventh Amendment, because even if Canadian Pacific is correct, the Holland America goals still counsel against withdrawing the reference at this time. To the extent there are Stern issues, under these circumstances, I find it would be beneficial to have an initial report and recommended decision by the bankruptcy judge. With respect to possible Seventh Amendment issues, it is far from clear that this proceeding will actually reach trial, and even if it does, it will likely require extensive court oversight before trial. Here, the Bankruptcy Court is best situated to provide that oversight.
In sum, Canadian Pacific has not established cause to withdraw the reference of the proceeding at this time.
For the reasons stated above, the Court
SO ORDERED.
The Trustee's Canadian counterpart has filed a plan of arrangement in the parallel Canadian proceedings that will be voted on by creditors on June 9, 2015. If it wins enough creditor support, it will come before the Bankruptcy Court's Canadian counterpart for approval on June 17, 2015. Meanwhile, in this District, the Trustee will submit a disclosure statement to the Bankruptcy Court for approval on June 23, 2015. If the disclosure statement is approved, it will be distributed to creditors and a confirmation hearing regarding a proposed plan of liquidation will be held in the Bankruptcy Court on August 20, 2015. According to the Trustee, the Bankruptcy Court will likely hold proceedings to estimate the value of Canadian Pacific's claims against the estate for voting purposes at some point in the next two months. The Trustee anticipates that at some point between June 23, 2015 and August 20, 2015, his Canadian counterpart will submit a filing to the Bankruptcy Court requesting that it recognize the anticipated order approving the Canadian plan of arrangement.