Horning Wire Corporation, an Illinois Corporation v. The Home Indemnity Company

CUDAHY, Circuit Judge.

The Horning Wire Corporation uses cre-sylic acid in its manufacturing process. The solvent is stored in six underground tanks located on Horning Wire’s property and is transported to Horning Wire’s plant via underground pipelines. In June 1989, the company discovered that cresylic acid was leaking from one of its pipelines. Recognizing the environmental danger (and accompanying liability), 1 it hired a waste-removal contractor, which removed approximately 900 cubic yards of contaminated soil from Horning Wire’s property. The cleanup cost Horning Wire almost $240,000. The…