Acme Laundry Co. v. Secretary of Environmental Affairs

Acme Laundry Co. (Acme I) sold land and a business to a successor entity (Acme II), which discovered oil contamination. Acme II subdivided the property and conveyed the contaminated lot to a further entity (Acme III). The state environmental agency (DEQE) placed a lien on all the lots to secure the costs of environmental cleanup.

Whether the government may impose a lien on property to secure repayment of environmental cleanup costs it incurred.