Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-03292/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-03292-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 899
Nature of Suit: Other Statutes - Administrative Procedure Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision
Cause of Action: 05:551 Administrative Procedure Act

---

CARE et al. v. EPA et al., No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

Joint Status Report and Stipulated Request to Extend Stay 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

BENJAMIN C. MIZER 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

JOSHUA E. GARDNER 

Assistant Branch Director 

M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar No. 272510) 

Attorney 

Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 

U.S. Department of Justice 

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 7-5395 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

Telephone: (415) 436-6646 

Facsimile: (415) 436-6632 

E-mail: m.andrew.zee@usdoj.gov 

Attorneys for Defendants 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

CALIFORNIANS FOR RENEWABLE 

ENERGY et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY et al.,

Defendants.

No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

STIPULATED REQUEST TO EXTEND 

STAY PENDING SETTLEMENT 

NEGOTIATIONS

Case 4:15-cv-03292-SBA Document 29 Filed 11/09/15 Page 1 of 5
CARE et al. v. EPA et al., No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

Joint Status Report and Stipulated Request to Extend Stay 

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

JOINT STATUS REPORT 

Pursuant to the Court’s Order of September 15, 2015 [ECF No. 26], Plaintiffs, 

CAlifornians for Renewable Energy; Ashurst Bar/Smith Community Organization; Citizens for 

Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping; Maurice and Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic and 

Social Justice; Sierra Club; and Michael Boyd, and Defendants, the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Gina McCarthy, sued solely in her official capacity as 

Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, submit this Joint Status Report 

advising the Court of the status of their discussions and respectfully request a thirty-day 

extension of the stay.

1. On July 15, 2015, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in this Court asserting six claims 

for relief against Defendants under the Administrative Procedure Act based on Title VI 

complaints filed with EPA’s Office of Civil Rights. ECF No. 1. Beginning on August 19, 2015, 

counsel for the parties began conferring by telephone and in writing regarding the possibility of 

negotiating a resolution to this case and the underlying Title VI complaints. Pursuant to the 

parties’ stipulated request, this Court on September 15, 2015 stayed proceedings for a period of 

sixty (60) days to allow these discussions to continue without engaging in adversarial and 

potentially burdensome litigation. 

2. During the pendency of the stay, counsel for the parties have had discussions 

regarding a potential framework for resolution of this litigation and the underlying Title VI 

complaints. The parties have held multiple telephone conferences, and have exchanged 

correspondence and information relevant to the administrative proceedings and proposals for 

resolution of those proceedings and this litigation. The parties wish to continue those 

discussions and believe that doing so while the litigation remains stayed for an additional period 

of thirty (30) days would facilitate that process. In their original stipulated request, the parties 

noted the possibility that an extension of the stay could be warranted, pending the parties’ 

discussions.

3. Accordingly, the parties respectfully request that the Court extend the stay, 

currently in effect through November 16, 2015, through and including December 16, 2015. 

Case 4:15-cv-03292-SBA Document 29 Filed 11/09/15 Page 2 of 5
CARE et al. v. EPA et al., No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

Joint Status Report and Stipulated Request to Extend Stay 

2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

While the stay is in effect, either party may, with prior notice of at least two business days to the 

opposing party, request that the Court lift the stay should the requesting party believe that the 

parties’ discussions are no longer productive. A proposed order is attached.

4. At present, the Court has set the following deadlines:

• December 3, 2015, for the filing of a Joint Case Management Statement, see

ECF No. 27; and 

• December 10, 2015, for holding an initial Case Management Conference, see

ECF No. 27.

The parties agree and request that these deadlines be held in abeyance during the pendency of the 

requested extension of the stay. The parties further agree to submit, seven (7) days prior to the 

expiration of the requested extension of the stay or seven (7) days after the requested stay is 

lifted for any reason, a Second Joint Status Report advising the Court of the status of their 

discussions.

5. To date, the stay presently in effect is the only previous time modification in this 

case. The parties respectfully submit that, other than those dates discussed above, this stipulated 

request will not alter the date of any event or any deadline already fixed by Court order.

Dated: November 9, 2015. Respectfully submitted, 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

BENJAMIN C. MIZER 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

JOSHUA E. GARDNER 

Assistant Branch Director 

 /s/ Andrew Zee 

M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar No. 272510) 

Attorney 

Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 

U.S. Department of Justice 

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 7-5395 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

Telephone: (415) 436-6646 

Case 4:15-cv-03292-SBA Document 29 Filed 11/09/15 Page 3 of 5
CARE et al. v. EPA et al., No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

Joint Status Report and Stipulated Request to Extend Stay 

3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 Facsimile: (415) 436-6632 

E-mail: m.andrew.zee@usdoj.gov 

Attorneys for Defendants 

Dated: November 9, 2015. Respectfully submitted, 

 /s/ Irene V. Gutierrez 

IRENE V. GUTIERREZ 

State Bar No. 252927 

Earthjustice

50 California Street 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

igutierrez@earthjustice.org 

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

MARIANNE L. ENGELMAN LADO* 

New York Registration No. 2212579 

JONATHAN SMITH 

California State Bar No. 286941 

Earthjustice

48 Wall Street, 19th Floor 

New York, NY 10005 

mengelmanlado@earthjustice.org 

jjsmith@earthjustice.org 

Tel: 212-845-7376/Fax: 212-918-1556 

* Admitted Pro Hac Vice

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

ATTESTATION 

 Pursuant to Local Rule 5-1(i)(3), I attest that I am the ECF user whose user ID and 

password are being used in the electronic filing of this document, and further attest that I have 

obtained the concurrence in the filing of the document from the other signatory. 

 /s/ Andrew Zee 

 M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar #272510) 

Case 4:15-cv-03292-SBA Document 29 Filed 11/09/15 Page 4 of 5
CARE et al. v. EPA et al., No. 4:15-cv-03292-SBA 

Joint Status Report and Stipulated Request to Extend Stay 

4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

 Upon stipulation of the parties, and good cause appearing, the Court hereby orders that all 

proceedings in this case shall be stayed for an additional period of thirty (30) days, through and 

including December 16, 2015. All previously established case management deadlines shall be 

held in abeyance during the pendency of this stay. The Court further orders that the parties shall 

submit a Second Joint Status Report seven (7) days prior to the expiration of the stay or seven (7) 

days after the requested stay is lifted for any reason advising the Court of the status of their 

discussions.

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: November __, 2015 

 HON. SAUNDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG 

United States District Court Judge

9

Case 4:15-cv-03292-SBA Document 29 Filed 11/09/15 Page 5 of 5