Ornelas v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co.

摘要

Individuals may amend complaint in lawsuit alleging that company violated their federal civil rights in contaminating drinking water, because: (1) company has not established that individuals unduly delayed or acted in bad faith in filing motion to amend or that motion prejudices company; (2) even though Safe Drinking Water Act preempts civil rights claims that allege violations of act and act applies to public water systems and regulates underground injections that endanger drinking water sources, well from which individuals draw their drinking water is not part of public system and proposed complaint does not mention any injections but alleges that contamination was caused by crop irrigation; (3) there is insufficient evidence to establish that individuals' claim is time-barred; and (4) individuals alleged that company acted jointly with California officials sufficient to bring civil rights claim that company was acting under color of state law.