New Hampshire Property Contamination Case Gets Mixed Ruling

Banfield Realty LLC’s suit over contaminated property in Portsmouth, N.H. was partially dismissed by a federal court.

Having discovered an industrial property it acquired in 2020 was allegedly contaminated by heavy metals, asbestos and other toxins it had been told were remediated, the company last year sued the sellers of the parcel, the City of Portsmouth, the Portsmouth Housing Authority and others, seeking damages for its cleanup costs.

Judge Steven J. McAuliffe of the US District Court for the District of New Hampshire on Oct. 13 denied bids by the city and its housing authority to dismiss Banfield’s Comprehensive Environmental ...