In Re Reading Co.

OPINION OF THE COURT

ROTH, Circuit Judge.

After a decade-long reorganization, the Reading Railroad emerged from bankruptcy on January 1,1981. On that day, the newly-established Reading Company 1 was given a fresh start by a consummation order which granted Reading protection from all pre-con-summation debts and liabilities. Now, sixteen years later, the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) asks that we circumvent the protection of the bankruptcy discharge and permit Conrail to seek contribution from Reading for environmental clean-up costs. The- district court rejected Conrail’s claim. We…