Tetra Tech EC, Inc. v. AIG Specialty Insurance Company, et al. — 9th Cir. (argued September 1, 2026)
The Ninth Circuit considers whether AIG had to defend Tetra Tech against three lawsuits arising from cleanup work at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The complaints accuse Tetra Tech of falsifying testing and mishandling radioactive soil, but also plead negligence. The question is whether those allegations created any potential for liability covered by Tetra Tech's pollution policies, or whether the policies' terms and exclusions foreclosed coverage.
Tetra Tech EC, Inc. v. AIG Specialty Insurance Company, et al. (No. 25-7620) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued September 1, 2026.
Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/media/2026/09/01/25-7620.mp3
Argument page — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/streams-videos/archive?case=25-7620&hearingDate=2026-09-01
Argument metadata — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://oldrbx80f5.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod/media/25-7620?hearingDate=2026-09-01
Appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/25-7620
Summary-judgment order — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_24-cv-06367/pdf/USCOURTS-cand-3_24-cv-06367-0.pdf
Gray v. Zurich Insurance Co. — Justia:https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2d/65/263.html
Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Superior Court — Justia:https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/4th/6/287.html
Superfund liability — U.S. EPA:https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/superfund-liability
CERCLA liability statute — U.S. House:https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section9607&num=0&edition=prelim
Tetra Tech False Claims Act settlement — U.S. Department of Justice:https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/tetra-tech-ec-inc-agrees-pay-57-million-settle-false-claims-act-allegations-falsifying
Sarah J. Odia — Payne & Fears:https://www.paynefears.com/professionals/sarah-j-odia/
Sarah J. Odia — Super Lawyers:https://profiles.superlawyers.com/nevada/las-vegas/lawyer/sarah-j-odia/7caf6c22-3a67-4714-91ba-119b03d6ddbb.html
Elliot Strader — Akerman:https://www.akerman.com/en/people/elliot-strader.html
Elliot Strader — State Bar of Texas:https://www.texasbar.com/attorneys/member.cfm?id=303008
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:43Sarah J. Odia — Tetra Tech
- 18:14Elliot Strader — AIG
- 37:58Qui tam and CERCLA