OB/11/2012 12:54 FAX 2024835142

June 8, 2012 FAA 

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ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS GREG ABBOTT
Federal Aviation Administration -t OMS @001/007

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Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 600 Independence

### Ave, SW Wilbur Wright Bldg, Ste 2W1000 Washington DC 20591 

# RECEIVED Via FedEx Overnight 798488991007



### . Re: FAA Docket No. 

### CP09S00014 DMS No. 

### FAA-2009-1045 

### FAA Case 

### No. 200880700389 Dear Sir/Madam: 

## JUH 1 i 2012 

## HEARING 

# DOCK·ET

Enclosedplease find for filing in the above referenced case, the original and two (2) copies ofthe Respondent Texas Army National Guard's Petition To Reconsider 

### Or Modify Final Decision And 

### Order. 

### Please file-mark the additional copy provided and return to 

### me in the enclosed self-addressed, stamped envelope. Thankyou for your courtesy in this matter. Vccy truly yours,

# ~~ Cecilia Hertel Legal Secretary to MICHAEL C. CROWLEY, AAG ADMINISTRATIVE LAWDIVISION Ph: (512) 475-4215 Pax: (512) 457-4629 E-mail:.ceci1 ia.hertel@texasattorncygeneral.gov Enclosure (;C: Gerald A. Ellis, Esq. Honorable Richard C, Goodwin Via Fax (404) 305-5223 Via Fax: (202) 366-7536

POST OFFICE Box 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512)463-21 00 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.USOS/11/2012 12:54 FAX 2024835142 FAA + OMS


### lJ.S. DEPARTMENT 

### OF TRANSPORTATION 

### OFFICE OF HEARINGS WASHINGTON, DC @002/007 

# ORIGINAL**-~----~RECEIVED** FAA DOCKET NO. CP09S00014 DMS NO. FAA-2009-1045 

### JUN 1 

## r 2012 FAA CASE NO. 200880700389



## ___________ t-_.IE_ARiNG 

# DOCKET FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION. Complainmzt, 

### v. TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, Respondent.


### RESPONDENT TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD'S PETITION TO RECONSIDER OR MODIFY FINAL DECISION AND ORDER
TO THE 

### HONORABLE ADMINISTRATOR; NOW COMES Respondent Texas Army National Guard (''the Guard'' or "Respondent"),by andthrough GregAbbott, Attorney General ofTexas,and theundersigned Assistant Attorney General, and, pursuant to 14'C.F.R. § l3.234(a), tiles this Petition to Reconsider or ModifY a Final Decision with the Administrator of the Federal J\viation Agency ("FAA"). This Petition to Reconsider is directed to the Decision and Order ofthe Administrator, served 

### May 22, 2012, affim1ing the initial decision of the AdministrCltive LawJudge(ALJ), dated May 20,2011. In supportoflhisPetitiontoReconsider, Rt:spondent Page 1of 608/11/2012 12:54 FAX 2024935142 FAA -t OMS @003/007
respectfully shows: I. 

### SUMMARY

·Respondent requests the Administratorto reconsider the method ofdetermining the civil penalty in this case, and to reduce the amount ofthat penalty. 

### II. FACTUALBACKGROUND The Guard does 

### not dispute the facts 

### as set out ln the Administrator's Decision and Order. 

### III. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND The Guard does not dispute the procedural history of this case, described in the Administrator's Decision and Order. 

### IV. DETERMINATION OF CIVIL PENALTY Respondenthasbeenfoundtobeinviolation theHazardousMaterialsTransportation statute, 49 USC, subtitle Ill, § 5123, and 49 CFR parts 171-185 (''Hazardous Materials Regulations" or "HMR"). The mostmaterial and appropriate standard by which to calculate the penalty for violation ofthe HMR is found in the HMR, at 49 CFR Part I07, Appendix A (Guidelines for Civil Penalties). Respondent respectfully requests the Administratorto apply the Appendix ---a part of the CFR-rather than FAA Order 2150.30-···a staff manual- to recalculate and reduce the penalty levied against Respondent.

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Since the contested case hearing ofthis matter, Respondent has requested that the Appendix be used to determine the civil penalty: althoughthe ALJ ultimately did apply [he FAA Order, he noted that the "guidelines contained 

### in FAA Order 2150.3ll'' were not binding, and that 

### he was "not required to follow these guidelines." Initial Decision of Administrative Law Judge at 2-3. FAA Order 2150.3B is a "staffmanual" promulgated pursuant to 14 CFRparts 1-199. Order at ch. l (2)(b); ch. 2 (2)(a). The Appendix has been recognized

### by transportation

### Jaw experts 

### as appropriate for cases concerning airtransport

### of dangerous goods. See, e.,;., Mitigating Civil Penalties Issued by the FAA for Hazmat Violations, PeterA. Quinter, Becker& PoliakoffLawFirm, Dangerous Goods Symposium, November 8-9, 2006. While such recognition is nol biding onthis tribunal, it indicates the Appendix 

### is authority that 

### my properly be considered. Both the 

### HMR and Appendix A y.,rcrc promulgated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration under the authority of49 USC § 5123. The FAA acted against Respondent under this section, even though 49 USC subtitle VII ("Aviation Programs,') contains statutory authority--49 USC 46312-by which the FAA regulates the unlawful transport 

### ofhazardous materials. The FAA has not alleged that Respondent violated this latter section, orthe regulatory standards (14 CFR parts 1-199) issued thereunder.

Page 3 of 608/11/2012 12:54 FAX 20249351(2 FAA + OMS @005/007

All ofthe allegations against 

### the Respondent are based on the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The 

### Administrator has 

### discretion to 

### employ the guidelines ofthe Appendixto
I these regulations. For example, 

### the FAA's organic regulations 

### pertaining to hazardous materials violations permit such consideration: ''An order assessing a civil penalty for a vjolation 

### of[Hazardous Materials law] ... is issued only atler ... [consideration 

### ofj ... (3) Ls]uch othermatters asjusticemayrequire." 14 CFR § 13.16(c). And 

### the Order2150.3R also permits the FAA to consider "othermatters asjustice requires.'' 

### See, Order2150.38 at ch. 18 (e)(3). Respondent does not contest the authority 

### ofthe FAA 

### to enforce subtitle III and the HMR, because such authority clearly exists. But the HMR Guidelines for Civil 

### Penalties (The Appendix) arc the 

### only standards 

### ofa 

### regulatory nature (as opposed to a staffmanual) that apply to this case. Because Appendix A applies only to the Hazardous Materials**Rt:gulations~** is more criteria specific than the FAA Order, and allows for a more certain penalty calculation than the Order, Respondent n:quests that the 

### guidclim:s be applied 

### to calculate the civil penalty in this case, and that the penalty be reduced 

### on this basis.

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### VI. CONCLUSION. Violations of the HMR warrant determination of a penalty in accord with the Appendixto theHRM, and reduction ofthe penalty of$30,000.00. Respondent respectfully requests the Administrator to reduce the penalty accordingly. Respectfully submitted, 

### GREG ABBOTT Attorney General ofTexas DANIEL T. HODGE First Assistant Attorney General DAVID C. MATT AX Deputy Attorney General for Defense Litigation 

### DAVIDA. TALBOT, JR. 

### C?:i

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### AvtTCHAEL C. CROWLEY

. State Bar No. 05170300 ·

Assistant Attorney General /· · OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GF.:N8RAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW DIVISION (MC-018) 

### P. 0. Box 12548 Austin TX 78711-2548 Ph: (512) 475-4208 Fax: (512) 457-4629 

### Email: michael.crowley@tcxa.sauomeygeneral.gov Attorneysfor Respondent Texas Army National Guard
Page 5 of 608/11/2012 12:54 FAX 2024935142 FAA -> OMS 141007/007

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certiJy that a true and correct copy ofthe above and forgoing Respondent's Petition To Reconsider OrModify FinalDecision and Orderhas been sent via facsimile on this the 8f11 day ofJune 2012, to the following counsel ofrecord: Gerald A. Ellis, Attorney U.S. DEP'T OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE Of THE REGIONAL COUNSEL, SOUTHERN REGJON f"EDERAL AVJATION ADMrNJSTRATION P.O. Box 20636 Atlanta GA 30320 

### Ph: (404) 305-5200 Via Facsimile (404) 305-5223 J 

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### MICHAEL C. CROWf**J~Y** . . .Y--- ;·· i A.'isistantAttorney General

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