Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caDC-99-01293/USCOURTS-caDC-99-01293-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Petitioner
Environmental Protection Agency
Respondent

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

–————

No. 99–1200 September Term, 2002

Filed On: March 7, 2003

APPALACHIAN POWER COMPANY, ET AL.,

PETITIONERS

v.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,

RESPONDENT

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ET AL.,

INTERVENORS

Consolidated with

99–1205, 99–1206, 99–1246, 99–1266, 99–1285, 99–1289,

99–1291, 99–1292, 99–1293, 99–1295, 99–1299, 99–1300,

99–1301, 99–1303, 99–1304, 99–1306, 99–1307, 00–1013,

00–1021, 00–1022, 00–1024, 00–1038, 00–1042, 00–1050,

00–1071, 00–1074, 00–1077, 00–1083, 00–1087, 00–1088,

00–1096, 00–1097, 00–1098, 00–1099, 00–1102, 00–1103,

00–1105, 00–1106, 00–1107, 00–1108, 00–1109, 00–1110,

00–1113, 00–1114, 00–1119, 00–1122,

00–1123, 00–1125, 00–1128

On Motion for Attorneys’ Fees

–————

Before: GINSBURG, Chief Judge, SENTELLE, Circuit Judge,

and WILLIAMS, Senior Circuit Judge.

ORDER

Upon consideration of the motion for attorneys’ fees, the

response thereto, and the reply, it is

USCA Case #99-1293 Document #736558 Filed: 03/07/2003 Page 1 of 2
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ORDERED that the motion be denied. A remand occasioned by an agency’s failure to respond to comments is a

purely procedural victory for the petitioner and is therefore

insufficient to support an award of attorneys’ fees under 42

U.S.C. § 7607(f). See Sierra Club v. EPA, 769 F.2d 796, 806

(D.C. Cir. 1985). In the most similar case in which this court

did award attorneys’ fees, Michigan v. EPA, 254 F.3d 1087,

1091 (D.C. Cir. 2001) (vacating EPA rule for want of notice

and comment before promulgation), the Agency had to reopen

the record or receive new comments on remand, thus creating

a greater probability that it would alter the rule.

Per Curiam

FOR THE COURT:

Mark J. Langer, Clerk

 BY:

 Deputy Clerk

USCA Case #99-1293 Document #736558 Filed: 03/07/2003 Page 2 of 2