In Goodrich Corp

Multiple Choice

In Goodrich Corp.v.Town of Middlebury,there were two public landfills that were designated as Superfund sites.The principally responsible parties formed a coalition to sue several municipalities for assistance in cleanup costs.During the litigation,a special master was appointed to determine which parties contributed waste and how much each contributed.When the case went to trial,the district court chose not to follow the determinations of the special master; instead,the court itself determined the liability of the municipalities.The decision was appealed.The appellate court determined that disregarding the special master's determination of liability was

A) permissible for the district court because it was within its rights to determine that the municipalities were more liable than the special master had determined.
B) not permissible because the district court was legally bound by the Superfund to accept the liability findings of the special master.
C) permissible because the special master should not have been appointed.
D) not permissible because there was no error of law in the determination of liability.