In Re Caribbean Petroleum, LP

OPINION AND ORDER FOLLOWING BENCH TRIAL

BESOSA, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs are 263 residents of Cabrera Development in Utuado; the development borders the Rio Grande de Arecibo. On July 11, 1994, they filed suit for damages under Article 1802 of the P.R. Civil Code, P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 31 § 5141, against Caribbean Petroleum Corporation (“Caribbean Petroleum” or “Gulf’) in the Superior Court of Utuado, alleging that they had been harmed by the fumes from a gasoline spill that occurred at a Gulf gasoline station in their vicinity. They alleged that the fumes came from gasoline that…