`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
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`
`
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` No. 1:18-md-02824-WJ
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`
`In re: Gold King Mine Release in San Juan
`County, Colorado on August 5, 2015
`
`This Document Relates to:
`No. 16-cv-465-WJ/LF
`No. 16-cv-931-WJ/LF
`No. 18-cv-319-WJ
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`KINROSS GOLD U.S.A. INC. AND KINROSS GOLD CORPORATION’S
`MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE CLAIMS OF NEW MEXICO,
`THE NAVAJO NATION, UTAH AND THE ALLEN PLAINTIFFS:
`PERSONAL JURISDICTION
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`Defendants Kinross Gold U.S.A. Inc. (“KGUSA”) and Kinross Gold Corporation
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`(“KGC”) (collectively “the Kinross Defendants”) respectfully submit that they are not subject to
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`personal jurisdiction in either the State of New Mexico or the State of Utah, and accordingly, that
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`the claims that have been brought against them in those states must be dismissed. On that basis,
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`the Kinross Defendants hereby move for summary judgment on all claims asserted in this
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`litigation by the State of New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, the State of Utah, and the Allen
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`plaintiffs. In support of this motion, the Kinross Defendants state the following.
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`I.
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`INTRODUCTION:
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`The EPA’s excavation at the Gold King Mine on August 5, 2015 triggered the Blowout
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`that sparked this litigation. It released water from the Gold King Mine, which cascaded over
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`nearby tailings and mine debris, creating a three-million-gallon concoction, which flowed into
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`Cement Creek and eventually into the Animas River.
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`Page 1 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 2 of 15
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`It is undisputed that the Blowout was caused by the EPA and its contractors—in fact, the
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`EPA admitted it was responsible within hours after the Blowout began. It is also undisputed that
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`neither KGUSA nor KGC played any role, directly or indirectly, in any of the events leading up
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`to the Blowout. KGUSA and KGC find themselves in this litigation simply because of their
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`affiliation with Sunnyside Gold Corporation (“SGC”), one of their indirect subsidiaries.
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`SGC acquired the Sunnyside Mine in 1986 and operated it until 1991. The Sunnyside
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`Mine is located on the east side of Bonita Peak, whereas the Gold King Mine is on the west side
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`of Bonita Peak. The two mines’ interworkings are not connected. Between 1991, when SGC
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`closed the mine, and 2002, SGC engaged in reclamation and remediation activities, under the
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`supervision of the State of Colorado. SGC’s work was designed, intended and implemented to
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`capture and retain the water in Colorado. Moreover, SGC’s work was, for all intents and
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`purposes, complete by the end of 2002, before SGC became affiliated with the Kinross
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`Defendants. 1
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`Plaintiffs the State of Utah, the State of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation as well as
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`the Allen plaintiffs (collectively “the Plaintiffs”) all claim that SGC’s closure and reclamation
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`activities at the Sunnyside Mine proximately caused the Blowout at the Gold King Mine. They
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`defeated the Kinross Defendants’ motion to dismiss with allegations “that KGUSA, acting as
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`KGC’s agent or alter ego, ‘directed or controlled the conduct of Sunnyside Gold and operations at the
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`Sunnyside Mine.’” Memorandum Opinion and Order, Doc. 168, p. 2. But the evidence supporting
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`1 In 2003, after SGC had completed its reclamation at the Sunnyside Mine, KGUSA
`acquired the outstanding shares of Echo Bay, Inc., which in turn owns the outstanding shares of
`SGC. KGC, which is a Canadian corporation, owns the outstanding shares of Bema Gold
`(U.S.A) Inc., which owns KGUSA. Neither KGUSA nor KGC owned any interest in SGC, nor
`in any entity that owned an interest in SGC, before 2003. Neither Kinross entity was ever
`involved in the operation, or the closure, of the Sunnyside Mine.
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`Page 2 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 3 of 15
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`the allegation that KGUSA and KGC actually directed or controlled SGC’s alleged “conduct”
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`does not exist, because neither KGUSA nor KGC was affiliated with SGC when the alleged
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`“conduct” occurred.
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`KGUSA and KGC do not do business in Utah or New Mexico, and they have not
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`engaged in any activity that was “purposefully directed” toward Utah or New Mexico.
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`Moreover, the Plaintiffs’ injuries did not arise from any conduct by either Kinross Defendant,
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`directed toward either Utah or New Mexico. As set forth below, this Court lacks jurisdiction over
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`either Kinross defendant.
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`D.N.M.LR-CIV 7.1(a) CERTIFICATION:
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`Counsel for KGUSA and KGC hereby certify that they have conferred in good faith with
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`II.
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`
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`counsel for the State of New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, the State of Utah, and the Allen
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`Plaintiffs, and determined that this motion is opposed.
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`III. UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS:
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`1.
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`KGUSA is a Nevada corporation, with its principal place of business in Colorado.
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`Utah Amended Compl. ¶ 14; New Mexico Amended Compl. ¶ 19; Navajo Amended Compl. ¶ 20;
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`see also, Ex. 1, Decl. of Martin Litt (dated 7/23/18), ¶4.
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`2.
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`KGUSA does not do business in Utah or New Mexico and is not licensed to do
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`business in Utah or New Mexico. Ex. 1, Decl. of Martin Litt, ¶¶ 5-9.
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`3.
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`KGUSA does not do business in Utah or New Mexico and is not licensed to do
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`business in Utah or New Mexico. Id.
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`4.
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`KGUSA is registered as a foreign corporation in Utah because, between 2012 and
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`2014, KGUSA was the lessee under four mineral leases in Beaver County, Utah. KGUSA
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`Page 3 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 4 of 15
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`conducted limited exploration but no development work on those leases, and all of them were
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`expressly terminated in 2014. Id.
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`5.
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`Other than these four leases, KGUSA does not own, lease, or maintain, and has
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`not owned, leased or maintained any property in Utah. Id.
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`6.
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`KGUSA has never conducted any business in New Mexico and has no employees
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`in New Mexico. Id.; see also, Ex. 2, Decl. of Martin Litt (dated 10/31/16), ¶4.
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`7.
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`All of SGC’s shares are owned by Echo Bay, Inc., which is a Delaware
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`Corporation. Echo Bay, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of KGUSA. Ex. 1, Decl. of Martin
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`Litt, ¶ 10; Ex. 3, Decl. of Kathleen Grandy (dated 10/18/2016), ¶8.
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`8.
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`KGUSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bema Gold (U.S.) Inc, a Nevada
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`Corporation, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of KGC. Ex. 3, Decl. of Kathleen
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`Grandy, ¶8.
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`9.
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`KGUSA acquired the Echo Bay, Inc. shares on January 31, 2003. KGUSA did not
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`own any direct or indirect interest in Echo Bay, Inc. or SGC, before that date. Ex. 1, Decl. of
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`Martin Litt, ¶ 11.
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`10.
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`KGC is a Canadian corporation, and its principal place of business is in Toronto.
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`Utah Amended Compl. ¶ 13; New Mexico Amended Compl. ¶ 18; Navajo Amended Compl. ¶ 19.
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`11.
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`KGC does not do business in the United States, and it does not do business in
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`either Utah or New Mexico, is not licensed to do business in Utah or New Mexico, does not have
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`a registered agent in Utah or New Mexico, and does not own, lease, or maintain any property in
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`Utah or New Mexico. Ex. 3, Decl. of Kathleen Grandy, ¶¶ 5-6; Ex. 4, Decl. of Kathleen Grandy
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`(dated 12/14/2017), ¶¶ 5-6.
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`Page 4 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 5 of 15
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`12.
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`KGC has no employees in Utah or New Mexico and has had no employees in
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`Utah or New Mexico at any time relevant to the claims in these cases. Id.
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`13.
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`KGC has never availed itself of the privilege of doing business in either Utah or
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`New Mexico. This suit does not arise out of or relate to KGC activities in Utah or New Mexico
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`because there have been none. Id.
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`14.
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`SGC closed the Sunnyside Mine on August 1, 1991. New Mexico Amended
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`Compl. ¶ 29; Navajo Amended Compl. ¶ 39; Utah Amended Compl. ¶ 20. SGC installed the first
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`bulkhead in the American Tunnel in July of 1995 (Ex. 4, ex. A thereto, Depo. of Perino, p.
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`68:16-68:21); the second bulkhead was installed in the American Tunnel in August of 2001 (Id.;
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`see also, Depo. of Perino, p. 135:11-135:22); the third bulkhead was installed in the American
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`Tunnel in December of 2002. (See id; see also, Depo. of Perino, pp. 144:18-145:7).
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`15. On January 14, 2003, the State of Colorado issued notice that Permit No. CO-
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`0027529, which permitted water discharged from the American Tunnel, had been transferred
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`from SGC to Gold King Mines Corporation. See, Ex. 5, ex. D thereto.
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`16.
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`On February 26, 2003, Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment
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`determined that SGC had fulfilled and met its obligations under the Colorado state court’s
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`Consent Decree. On July 3, 2003, the Consent Decree was terminated. See, Ex. 5, ex. A thereto,
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`Depo. of Perino, pp. 153:19-155:3 and ex. 81.
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`17.
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`Neither KGC nor KGUSA owned or operated the Sunnyside Mine; rather it was
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`owned and operated by SGC. (See, e.g., Ex. 5, ex. B thereto, Depo. of Goodhard, p. 341:3-
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`341:20; Ex. 5, ex. C thereto, Depo. of Hayduk, pp. 139:18-140:7); see also, Ex. 2, Decl. of
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`Martin Litt, ¶5.
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`Page 5 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 6 of 15
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`IV.
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`SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD
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`Summary judgment is appropriate when the pleadings, deposition transcripts, affidavits
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`and evidentiary material show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the
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`moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Gillogly v. GE
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`Capital Assurance, 430 F.3d 1284 (10th Cir. 2005) (citations omitted). A function of summary
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`judgment is to eliminate factually unsupported claims. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S.
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`317, 323-24 (1986).
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`The movant bears the initial burden of “show[ing] that there is an absence of evidence to
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`support the nonmoving party’s case.” Bacchus Indus., Inc. v. Arvin Indus., Inc., 939 F.2d 887,
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`891 (10th Cir. 1991) (internal quotation marks omitted). See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S.
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`317, 323 (1986). Once the movant meets this burden, rule 56(e) requires the nonmoving party to
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`designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. See Celotex Corp. v.
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`Catrett, 477 U.S. -8- at 324; Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256 (1986); Vitkus v.
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`Beatrice Co., 11 F.3d 1535, 1539 (10th Cir. 1993) (“However, the nonmoving party may not rest
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`on its pleadings but must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial as
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`to those dispositive matters for which it carries the burden of proof.”) (internal quotation marks
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`omitted). “In responding to a motion for summary judgment, ‘a party cannot rest on ignorance of
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`facts, on speculation, or on suspicion and may not escape summary judgment in the mere hope
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`that something will turn up at trial.’” Colony -9- Nat’l Ins. Co. v. Omer, 2008 WL 2309005 at *1
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`(quoting Conaway v. Smith, 853 F.2d 789, 794 (10th Cir. 1988)).
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`A dispute is “genuine” only if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a
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`verdict for the nonmoving party. Allen v. Muskogee, 119 F.3d 837, 839 (10th Cir. 1997). In other
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`words, issues must exist that “can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may
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`Page 6 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 7 of 15
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`reasonably be resolved in favor of either party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. at
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`250. A scintilla of evidence will not avoid summary judgment. See Vitkus v. Beatrice Co., 11
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`F.3d at 1539. “[T]here is no evidence for trial unless there is sufficient evidence favoring the
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`nonmoving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.,
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`477 U.S. at 249 (internal citations omitted). Where the record taken as a whole could not lead a
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`rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party, there is no genuine issue for trial. See
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`Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986).
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`V.
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`ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES:
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`A.
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`Utah and New Mexico Do Not Have Personal Jurisdiction Over the Kinross
`Defendants.
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`“[T]he Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause does not permit a State to hale an
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`out-of-state corporation before its courts when the corporation is not ‘at home’ in the State and
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`the episode-in-suit occurred elsewhere.” BNSF R. Co. v. Tyrrell, 137 S. Ct. 1549, 1554 (2017),
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`quoting Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117, 125 (2014). Where a non-resident corporation is
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`not “at home” in the forum state, and the defendant’s alleged activities “occurred elsewhere,” the
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`Due Process Clause “constrains a State’s authority to bind a nonresident defendant.” Walden v.
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`Fiore, 571 U.S. 277, 283 (2014). Since 1945, the courts have consistently held that states can
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`exercise personal jurisdiction over out-of-state defendants only when the out-of-state defendants
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`have “certain minimum contacts” with the State, “…such that the maintenance of the suit does
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`not offend ‘traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.’” International Shoe
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`Co. v. Washington, 326 U. S. 310, 66 S. Ct. 154, 90 L. Ed. 95 (1945). Thus, Due Process allows
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`personal jurisdiction over out-of-state defendants only when two elements are met. “First, a
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`defendant must have ‘purposefully established minimum contacts within the forum state.’”
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`Dental Dynamics, LLC v. Jolly Dental Group, LLC, 946 F.3d 1223, 1228 (10th Cir. 2020)
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`Page 7 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 8 of 15
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`(quoting Int’l Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945)).
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`“Second, the assertion of personal jurisdiction must comport with traditional notions of fair play
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`and substantial justice.” Id. at 1229 (citing Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz, 471 U.S. 462, 476,
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`105 S.Ct. 2174, 85 L.Ed.2d 528 (1985)).
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`Minimum contacts can be established generally, when the defendant is shown to have
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`continuous and systematic general business connections with the forum state, or specifically,
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`when the defendant’s alleged conduct was specifically directed toward the forum state. See
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`BNSF Ry. v. Tyrrell, 137 S.Ct. 1549, 198 L.Ed. 2d 36, 46 (2017). In this case, neither KGUSA
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`nor KGC has purposefully established any general minimum contacts, or any specific minimum
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`contacts, with either New Mexico or Utah.
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`1.
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`General Jurisdiction Does Not Exist. “Because general jurisdiction is not related
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`to the events giving rise to the suit, courts impose a more stringent minimum contacts test,
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`requiring the plaintiff to demonstrate the defendant's continuous and systematic general business
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`contacts.” Old Republic Ins. Co. v. Cont’l Motors, Inc., 877 F.3d 895, 904 (10th Cir. 2017),
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`citing Benton v. Cameco Corp., 375 F.3d 1070, 1080 (10th Cir. 2004) (quotations omitted).
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`General personal jurisdiction exists only when a corporation’s connections with the forum State
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`“are so continuous and systematic as to render [it] essentially at home in the forum State.” Old
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`Republic Ins. Co. v. Continental Motors, Inc., 877 F.3d 895, 904 (10th Cir. 2017) (quoting
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`Goodyear Dunlop, 564 U.S. at 919). When those connections exist, the state’s courts may
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`exercise jurisdiction over the defendant for any lawsuit. Id. at 903-04. General personal
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`jurisdiction typically exists only where the corporation was incorporated or in its principal place
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`of business. Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117, 139 n.19, 134 S.Ct. 746, 187 L.Ed.2d 624
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`(2014). (It is an “exceptional case” where “a corporation’s operations in a forum other than its
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`Page 8 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 9 of 15
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`formal place of incorporation or principal place of business [will] be so substantial and of such a
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`nature as to render the corporation at home in that State.”)
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`KGUSA is a Nevada corporation, and its principal place of business is in Colorado.
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`KGC is a Canadian corporation, and its principal place of business is in Toronto. Neither entity
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`does business in New Mexico or Utah, and neither entity is licensed to do business in either state.
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`Neither has a registered agent in New Mexico or Utah, or any employees in either state, and
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`neither owns, leases, or maintains any property in New Mexico or Utah. Undisputed Material
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`Facts 1-6, 10-13. Obviously, neither KGUSA nor KGC has “continuous” or “systematic”
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`operations in New Mexico or Utah that would render it “at home” in either state. General
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`personal jurisdiction over either KGC or KGUSA has not been alleged and does not exist.
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`2.
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`Specific Jurisdiction Does Not Exist. When a defendant’s forum state contacts do
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`not support general jurisdiction, they might support specific jurisdiction, but only if they are
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`“sufficiently related to the cause of action.” Old Republic Ins. Co. v. Continental Motors, Inc.
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`877 F.3d, 895, 904 (10th Cir. 2017), citing Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117, 134 S. Ct.
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`746, 754, 187 L. Ed. 2d 624 (2014). To meet this test, a plaintiff must demonstrate that “…(a)
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`the defendant purposefully directed its activities at the forum state, and (b) the plaintiff’s cause
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`of action arose out of those activities…” Id., at 909 (emphasis added). In addition, the exercise
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`of jurisdiction must be reasonable and fair. Id., at 904.
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`Purposeful direction is established “when an out-of-state defendant’s intentional conduct
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`targets and has substantial harmful effects in the forum state.” Old Republic Ins. Co., 877 F.3d at
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`907 (emphasis by the Court). The analysis focuses on “three salient factors,” which are “(a) an
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`intentional action … that was (b) expressly aimed at the forum state … with (c) knowledge that
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`the brunt of the injury would be felt in the forum state.” Shrader v. Biddinger, 633 F.3d 1235,
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`Page 9 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 10 of 15
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`1239 (10th Cir. 2011); see also Dudnikov v. Chalk & Vermilion Fine Arts, 514 F.3d 1063, 1077
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`(10th Cir. 2008) (purposeful direction satisfied where “defendants undertook intentional actions
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`that were expressly aimed at [the] forum state” (emphasis by the Court)). In this case, the
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`question is whether either KGUSA or KGC engaged in intentional conduct that was directed
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`toward either New Mexico or Utah, with knowledge that “the brunt of the injury” would be felt
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`in New Mexico (for the claims of New Mexico, the Navajo Nation and the Allen plaintiffs) or
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`Utah.
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`This inquiry must focus on the activities of KGUSA and KGC themselves. As the Tenth
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`Circuit has held, courts “must examine the quantity and quality of Defendants’ contacts with [the
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`forum state] to determine whether the district court’s assertion of personal jurisdiction over
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`Defendants comports with due process.” OMI Holdings v. Royal Ins. Co. of Can., 149 F.3d 1086,
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`1092 (10th Cir. 1998) (emphasis by the court). In other words, “specific jurisdiction must be
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`based on actions by the defendant and not on events that are the result of unilateral actions taken
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`by someone else.” Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. v. Heliqwest Intern., Ltd., 385 F.3d 1291, 1296
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`(10th Cir. 2004). see also Dudnikov, 514 F.3d at 1072 (“The defendant’s only contact, the
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`presence of its product in the forum, is the result of the act of someone else and not the
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`defendant’s own intentional conduct.”).
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`Neither KGUSA nor KGC engaged in intentional conduct directed toward New Mexico
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`or Utah. Not only have KGUSA and KGC never done business in either state—they have never
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`themselves engaged in any activity or conduct directed toward either state. Nor did they control
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`or direct any activities directed toward either state.
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`Page 10 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 11 of 15
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`a.
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`Neither KGUSA nor KGC engaged in any intentional acts.
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`As noted above, the court denied the Kinross Defendants’ motion to dismiss because
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`plaintiffs alleged “that KGUSA, acting as KGC’s agent or alter ego, ‘directed or controlled the
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`conduct of Sunnyside Gold and operations at the Sunnyside Mine.’” Memorandum Opinion and
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`Order, Doc. 168, p. 2. It is undisputed, however, that the Sunnyside Mine was closed in 1986,
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`and it is undisputed that SGC was not acquired until January 31, 2003. Obviously, because KGC
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`and KGUSA were not affiliated with SGC when the Sunnyside Mine was in operation, the notion
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`that KGC and KGUSA “directed or controlled … operations at the Sunnyside Mine” cannot be
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`true.
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`To the extent that the Plaintiffs are alleging that KGUSA and KGC controlled or directed
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`SGC’s post-closure activities, the facts once again refute their allegations. Again, SGC installed
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`the bulkheads in the American Tunnel before it became affiliated with the Kinross Defendants.
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`(Statement of Undisputed Material Facts, 14-16). Moreover, the State of Colorado certified that
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`SGC had fulfilled its Consent Decree obligations on February 26, 2003, less than a month after
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`the acquisition, and formally released SGC from the Consent Decree in July of 2003. In other
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`words, SGC had completed the work that is at issue in this litigation before it became a
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`subsidiary of either Kinross Defendant.
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`In sum, KGUSA and KGC did not direct or control SGC’s mining operations, or the mine
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`closure, or the remediation efforts described in the Plaintiffs’ complaints; those activities were
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`carried out and completed before SGC was acquired. The first prong of the purposeful direction
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`test has not been met.
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`Page 11 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 12 of 15
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`b.
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`The requirement that KGUSA and KGC “expressly aimed” any intentional
`acts toward either Utah or New Mexico is also missing.
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`When addressing this factor, the proper question “is not where the plaintiff experienced a
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`particular injury or effect but whether the defendant’s conduct connects him to the forum in a
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`meaningful way.” Walden, 134 S.Ct. at 1125 (emphasis added). To satisfy this second prong,
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`Plaintiffs must demonstrate that their injuries “‘arise out of [the] defendant’s forum-related
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`activities.” Anzures v. Flagship Restaurant Group, 819 F.3d 1277, 1280 (10th Cir. 2016) (quoting
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`Dudnikov, 514 F.3d at 1071) (internal citation omitted). It is undisputed, however, that SGC’s
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`efforts were designed and undertaken to capture and retain water within the tunnels, inside the
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`mine, in Colorado. See, generally, SGC Motion for Summary Judgment, pp. 3-5. SGC’s actions,
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`in other words, were directed exclusively toward Colorado and were done “to protect the waters
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`of the State of Colorado.” Id., SGC Statement of Undisputed Material Facts, ¶¶ 10, 13, 14. This
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`fact is undisputed and undeniable. Accordingly, even if SGC’s activities had been carried out at
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`times when they could have been controlled by KGUSA or KGC, those activities were not aimed
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`toward Utah, and they were not aimed toward New Mexico. The Kinross Defendants did not
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`direct SGC’s activities, and even if they had, those activities were not purposefully directed
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`toward either forum state.
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`c.
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`Since neither Kinross Defendant engaged in intentional conduct that was
`directed toward either New Mexico or Utah, they also could not have
`known that “the brunt of the injury” would be felt in New Mexico or Utah.
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`The notion that the Kinross Defendants controlled SGC’s reclamation activities is
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`unfounded, because SGC’s reclamation work was complete before it became affiliated with the
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`Kinross Defendants. The notion that SGC’s activities, or any activities by either Kinross
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`Defendant, was purposefully directed toward either New Mexico or Utah is also unfounded,
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`because SGC’s efforts were directed exclusively toward Colorado. Given these facts and this
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`Page 12 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 13 of 15
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`timing, and given that SGC’s activities were permitted, regulated and controlled by Colorado, the
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`notion that SGC or either Kinross Defendant knew or could have known that the brunt of any
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`injury would be felt in New Mexico or Utah is likewise unfounded.
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`VI. CONCLUSION:
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`The August 5, 2015 Blowout was caused by the EPA and its contractors. The only
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`purported connection to the KGC and KGUSA arises from the fact that SGC, by successfully
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`carrying out its reclamation work, impounded water in Colorado, and thereafter became an
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`indirect subsidiary of KGUSA and KGC. But the water was released by the EPA and its
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`contractors, and not by SGC or either Kinross Defendant. Whether the EPA’s activities were
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`directed toward New Mexico and Utah is debatable, but clearly, the Kinross Defendants’
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`activities were not.
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`The undisputed facts demonstrate that neither KGUSA nor KGC undertook any
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`purposeful activity, directed toward either New Mexico or Utah, with knowledge that the brunt
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`of the injury would be felt there. For this reason, and for all of the reasons stated herein, the
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`Kinross Defendants respectfully submit that the courts of New Mexico and Utah lack jurisdiction
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`over them, and request that the claims that have been brought against them be dismissed.
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`DATED this 13th day of October 2020.
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`Page 13 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 14 of 15
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`Respectfully,
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`HOLLAND & HART LLP
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`/s/ Bradford C. Berge
`Bradford C. Berge
`Jules Elese Angelley
`P.O. Box 2208
`110 N. Guadalupe, Ste. 1
`Santa Fe, NM 87504-2208
`TEL: 505-988-4421
`FAX: 505-983-6043
`bberge@hollandhart.com
`jeangelley@hollandhart.com
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`Attorneys for Defendants Kinross Gold U.S.A., Inc.
`and Kinross Gold Corporation
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`Page 14 of 15
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`Case 1:18-cv-00319-WJ Document 487 Filed 10/13/20 Page 15 of 15
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I hereby certify that on the 13th day of October 2020, the foregoing was filed via the U.S.
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`District Court of New Mexico’s CM/ECF electronic filing system and a copy thereof was served
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`via the CM/ECF upon all counsel of record.
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` /s/ Bradford C. Berge
` Bradford C. Berge
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`15526182_v4
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`Page 15 of 15
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