Midlantic National Bank v. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

These petitions for certiorari, arising out of the same bankruptcy proceeding, present the question whether § 554(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U. S. C. § 554(a),1 authorizes a trustee in bankruptcy to abandon property in contravention of state laws or regulations that are reasonably designed to protect the public’s health or safety.

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Quanta Resources Corporation (Quanta) processed waste oil at two facilities, one in Long Island City, New York, and *497the other in Edgewater, New Jersey. At the Edgewater facility, Quanta handled the oil pursuant to a temporary operating permit issued by the New…