Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-04596/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-04596-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 42:7413(b) Clean Air Act

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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER - Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

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ELIZABETH B. FORSYTH, SBN 288311

PAUL R. CORT, SBN 184336

Earthjustice

50 California Street, Suite 500

San Francisco, CA 94111

eforsyth@earthjustice.org

pcort@earthjustice.org 

Tel: 415-217-2000/Fax: 415-217-2040

Attorneys for Plaintiffs Sierra Club, Center

for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians,

Medical Advocates for Healthy Air, and 

Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND DIVISION

SIERRA CLUB, CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL 

DIVERSITY, WILDEARTH GUARDIANS, 

MEDICAL ADVOCATES FOR HEALTHY AIR, 

and PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL 

RESPONSIBILITY – LOS ANGELES,

Plaintiffs,

v.

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL 

PROTECTION AGENCY; GINA MCCARTHY, in 

her official capacity as Administrator of the United 

States Environmental Protection Agency; and 

JARED BLUMENFELD, in his official capacity as 

Regional Administrator of the United States 

Environmental Protection Agency,

Defendants, and 

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY UNIFIED AIR 

POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT and SOUTH 

COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT 

DISTRICT, 

Defendant-Intervenors 

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Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

STIPULATION AND 

PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE CASE 

MANAGEMENT 

CONFERENCE 

Case 3:14-cv-04596-EMC Document 40 Filed 01/14/16 Page 1 of 6
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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER - Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER

WHEREAS Plaintiffs challenge Defendants’ alleged violation of their mandatory duties 

under the Clean Air Act (“Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401 et seq., to make a finding by June 30, 2012, 

that California’s Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin and San Joaquin Valley failed to come into 

attainment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 1997 fine particulate matter

(“PM2.5”) pollution standards, and to publish notice in the Federal Register that these areas have

been reclassified by operation of law as “Serious Areas;”

WHEREAS on December 18, 2014, EPA proposed to “reclassify the San Joaquin Valley 

(SJV) Moderate nonattainment area, including areas of Indian country within it, as a Serious 

nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) based on 

EPA’s determination that the area cannot practicably attain these NAAQS by the applicable 

attainment date of April 5, 2015.” See Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; 

California; San Joaquin Valley; Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 

Standards, 80 Fed. Reg. 1482 (Jan. 12, 2015); 

WHEREAS on March 27, 2015, EPA took final action to reclassify the San Joaquin 

Valley as a Serious nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. See Designation of Areas 

for Air Quality Planning Purposes; California; San Joaquin Valley; Reclassification as Serious 

Nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 Standards, 80 Fed. Reg. 18,528 (April 7, 2015);

WHEREAS on November 20, 2014, EPA proposed “to determine that the Los AngelesSouth Coast Air Basin (South Coast) air quality planning area in California has attained the 1997 

annual and 24-hour [PM2.5 NAAQS]. This proposed determination is based upon complete (or 

otherwise validated), quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data showing that the 

area has monitored attainment of the 1997 annual and 24-hour PM2.5 standards based on the 

2011–2013 monitoring period.” See Clean Data Determination for 1997 PM2.5 Standards; 

California—South Coast; Applicability of Clean Air Act Requirements, EPA-R09-OAR-2014-

0708, 79 Fed. Reg. 72,999 (Dec. 9, 2014);

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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER - Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

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WHEREAS, Plaintiffs have petitioned the D.C. Circuit for review of EPA’s final 

rulemaking entitled “Identification of Nonattainment Classification and Deadlines for 

Submission of State Implementation Plan (SIP) Provisions for the 1997 Fine Particulate Matter 

(PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS,” (79 Fed. 

Reg. 31,566 (June 2, 2014)), which addresses related issues. WildEarth Guardians v. EPA, 

No. 14-1145 (D.C. Cir. filed July 31, 2014);

WHEREAS, the Court previously granted the parties’ request to stay this action 

pending the earlier resolution of either WildEarth Guardians v. EPA or the EPA’s final actions 

on its proposals to find that the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin attained the 1997 PM2.5 

standards and to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley as a Serious Area for the 1997 PM2.5 

standards, and set a case management conference for July 23, 2015, Dkt. No. 34;

WHEREAS, the Court subsequently granted the parties’ request to continue the case 

management conference until January 21, 2016 (Dkt. No. 38).

WHEREAS, WildEarth Guardians v. EPA remains pending before the D.C. Circuit and 

oral argument in that case was heard on November 6, 2015; and

WHEREAS, EPA’s final action on its proposal to determine that the South Coast has 

attained the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS remains delayed while EPA reviews additional ambient PM2.5

data submitted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District;

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED that, in the interest of judicial economy and efficiency,

the case management conference currently scheduled for January 21, 2016 be postponed until 

April 7, 2016, and the deadline for the parties to file a joint case management conference 

statement currently scheduled for January 14, 2016, be postponed until March 31, 2016.

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/s/ Paul Cort (email auth. 1/11/16)

ELIZABETH B. FORSYTH (SBN 288311)

PAUL R. CORT (SBN 184336)

Earthjustice

50 California Street

San Francisco, CA 94111

eforsyth@earthjustice.org

pcort@earthjustice.org 

Tel: 415-217-2000/Fax: 415-217-2040

 Attorneys for Plaintiffs

/s/ Leslie M. Hill

LESLIE M. HILL (D.C. Bar No. 476008) 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Environment & Natural Resources Division 

Environmental Defense Section 

601 D Street N.W., Suite 8000 

Washington D.C. 20004 

Leslie.Hill@usdoj.gov 

Telephone (202) 514-0375 

Facsimile (202) 514-8865 

Attorneys for Defendants

/s/ Annette A. Ballatore-Williamson (email auth. 

1/10/16)

ANNETTE A. BALLATORE-WILLIAMSON

(SBN 192176) District Counsel

JESSICA E. HAFER FIERRO

(SBN 297668) Assistant Counsel

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY UNIFIED AIR

POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT 

(SJVUAPCD)

1990 E. Gettysburg Avenue

Fresno, CA 93726

Phone: (559) 230-6033; Fax: (559) 230-6061

Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenor SJVUAPCD

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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER - Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

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/s/ Lauren Nevitt (email auth. 1/8/16)

LAUREN NEVITT

(SBN 260297) Senior Deputy District Counsel

BARBARA BAIRD

(SBN 081507) Chief Deputy Counsel

KURT WIESE

(SBN 127251) General Counsel

SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY 

MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

21865 Copley Drive

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Phone: (909) 396-3458; Fax (909) 296-2961

Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenor SCAQMD

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STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER - Case No: 3:14-cv-04596-EMC

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[PROPOSED] ORDER

Pursuant to the Parties’ stipulation, and in the interest of judicial economy and 

efficiency, the case management conference currently scheduled for January 21, 2016 shall be 

rescheduled for April 7, 2016. The joint case management conference statement currently due 

on January 14, 2016 shall be submitted by March 31, 2016. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated:

HON. EDWARD CHEN

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

March 24, 2016. An 

updated joint CMC 

statement shall be filed by 

March 17, 2016. 1/14/2016

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge Edward M. Chen

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