In this case Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. vs United States, the supreme court made the ruling that Shell Oil Company was not liable under the CERCLA. This case was about an agricultural chemical distribution business that operated on a small plot of land leased by Burlington Northern Railroad company. The chemical company stored and distributed hazard substances on the land, as well as a pesticide sold by Shell. Through the years, these hazard chemicals leeched into the ground contaminating the groundwater. Part of these leaks occurred during the transfer phase from when the tanker trucks would deliver to the chemical company. The chemical company eventually went out of business but the United States and the State of California