Source: https://elr.info/weekly-update-archives/39/24
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 00:53:39+00:00

Document:
The Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a hazardous waste site operator's lawsuit challenging EPA's administration of unilateral administrative orders (UAOs) under CERCLA. The operator, which characterized UAOs as "emergency orders," alleged that EPA "routinely" issues emergency orders "where no conceivable emergency exists." It therefore sought a judicial declaration that EPA's "pattern and practice" in administering CERCLA UAOs is unconstitutional. The operator has standing to challenge the validity of the UAO to which it is subject because, assuming that its allegations are correct and EPA issued the order ultra vires, the operator has suffered concrete and particularized harm and seeks to litigate its own rights. But, because of CERCLA §113(h)'s limitation on the timing of judicial review, the operator must await completion of the work required by the UAO to bring its individual challenge. As to its challenge to all other UAOs, the operator plainly lacks standing. Even if EPA issued improper orders to other entities at other sites, the operator suffered no concrete and particularized harm as a result and, in any event, it lacks prudential standing to litigate the rights of those third parties. The operator cannot evade the "timing of review" limitation on a substantive challenge to its order simply by asserting that other orders, too, might suffer from a similar alleged substantive flaw. The operator also alleged that EPA refused to certify completion of the work required by UAOs so as to delay judicial review. But this claim is not ripe because the feared harm has not yet been realized. As soon as the operator believes that it has completed the UAO work it is required to perform, it can petition EPA for reimbursement and, if EPA refuses, bring an action in federal court. City of Rialto v. West Coast Loading Corp., No. 08-55474, 39 ELR 20184 (9th Cir. Aug. 14, 2009).
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a lower court order holding that a company substantially complied with a state's remediation plan for cleaning up PCB contamination at a hazardous waste site. The company's predecessor-in-interest operated an electrical transformer repair facility on the subject property, which led to significant PCB contamination. The company was held liable under CERCLA and the Minnesota Environmental Response and Liability Act and ordered to clean up the contamination. Roughly 10 years later, the lower court modified the underlying injunction, finding that no further relief was necessary. The lower court did not err in finding that no further relief was necessary since there was substantial evidence that the company completed the remediation plan required by the state. In addition, the lower court properly denied the current property owner's motion to increase the bond posted by the defendant-company to cover the cost of future remediation since the motion was untimely. But the court remanded the order for clarification and/or reconsideration of the owner's motion for $59,448.61 in response costs. Kennedy Building Associates v. CBS Corp., No. 07-3622, 39 ELR 20186 (8th Cir. Aug. 18, 2009).
The Seventh Circuit held that an environmental group lacks standing in their action against several government agencies for allowing the discharge of bullets into Lake Michigan at a U.S.-operated gun range. The group alleged that the deterioration of the lead bullets in the water harmed the environment in violation of the CWA, RCRA, CERCLA, and state nuisance law. Individual members' concern over drinking water did not provide standing because the drinking water in the area was below the environmental limit on lead pollution allowed by the city government, thereby negating any claim of harm. And their concerns over birds, fish, and wildlife were too general and did not allege any particular or specific harm that had been caused by the bullets. Because the individual members did not possess standing, the group did not possess standing on their behalf. Accordingly, the lower court properly dismissed the suit for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Pollack v. United States Department of Justice, No. 08-3857, 39 ELR 20183 (7th Cir. Aug. 13, 2009).
The Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court decision denying environmental groups' motion to preliminarily enjoin three logging projects in the Plumas National Forest in California. The U.S. Forest Service issued the contracts in its attempt to fund fire prevention activities. Among other claims, the groups argued that the Service violated NEPA by failing to consider a reasonable range of alternatives before adopting its "2004 Framework," an amendment to the forest plans governing California's Sierra Nevada region, including Plumas. The groups sought a preliminary injunction that would allow the three logging projects to proceed only to the extent they are consistent with the Service's 2001 Framework. The lower court denied the injunction, and this court reversed based on its finding that the groups demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their NEPA claim. Since then, however, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 129 S. Ct. 365, 39 ELR 20279 (2008). This decision requires the court to revisit its holding with respect to the factors governing preliminary relief other than likelihood of success on the merits—irreparable harm, balancing of equities, and the public interest. The court, therefore, modified its earlier opinion and remanded the case so the lower court can assess these non-merits factors in the context of the narrow injunction the groups requested—to halt the three site-specific projects only to the extent they are inconsistent with the 2001 Framework. Sierra Forest Legacy v. Rey, No. 07-16892, 39 ELR 20182 (9th Cir. Aug. 13, 2009).
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a lower court decision holding moot certain parts of a 1975 injunction regulating air emissions from a mining company's taconite pellet operation in Silver Bay, Minnesota. The lower court held that since portions of the injunction had been effectively incorporated into state administrative law, those portions of the injunction no longer had any force or effect. It therefore vacated the air-emissions provisions from the injunction sua sponte. The state appealed, but it failed to show how the lower court abused its discretion by vacating the air-emissions provisions, particularly since the state's air permitting regulations and the injunction contain identical language. Similarly, the state failed to show that the mining company is likely to repeat its violation in the absence of the injunction. The court also dismissed the mining company's appeal and the federal government's cross-appeal since they were not aggrieved parties. The order granted the mining company all of the relief that it sought, and the federal government's interests were not affected since its interests in the injunction extended only to water-emissions provisions, not air emissions provisions. United States v. Northshore Mining Co., Nos. 08-1423, -1533, 39 ELR 20185 (8th Cir. Aug. 17, 2009).
A California appellate court upheld a lower court decision denying a city's petition to overturn a school district's final environmental impact report (FEIR) for a high school construction project. The city argued that the school district failed to provide adequate detail and analysis sufficient to enable meaningful consideration of the environmental issues raised by the proposed project in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). But the FEIR adequately analyzed the challenged impacts of the project and undertook a meaningful analysis of alternatives. Accordingly, the district complied with CEQA. Long Beach v. Los Angeles Unified School District, No. B207721, 39 ELR 20187 (Cal. App. 2d Dist. July 16, 2009).
EPA updated the outer continental shelf air regulations for the Santa Barbara County air pollution control district in California. 74 FR 42175 (8/21/09).
SIP Approvals: Arizona (stay and deferral of sanctions for Pinal County) 74 FR 41340 (8/17/09). Michigan (abbreviated Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) SIP) 74 FR 41637 (8/18/09).
SIP Proposals: Arizona (particulate matter emissions from construction and related activities and unpaved parking lots) 74 FR 41347 (8/17/09). California (basic and enhanced vehicle inspection and maintenance program) 74 FR 41818 (8/19/09); (volatile organic compound and nitrogen oxide emissions for the San Joaquin Valley unified air pollution control district) 74 FR 41826 (8/19/09); (withdrawal and replacement of rule proposed July 14, 2009, for the San Joaquin Valley unified air pollution control district) 74 FR 41829 (8/19/09). Maryland (CAIR SIP) 74 FR 42038 (8/20/09). Michigan (abbreviated CAIR SIP; see above for direct final rule) 74 FR 41648 (8/18/09).
EPA announced availability of expert peer review of proposed revisions to the national renewable fuel standard program. 74 FR 41359 (8/17/09).
EPA entered into a proposed administrative settlement under CERCLA that requires the settling party to pay $160,000 in U.S. response costs incurred at the Jones Road Ground Water Plume Superfund site in Houston, Texas. 74 FR 42301 (8/21/09).
EPA entered into a proposed de minimis administrative agreement under CERCLA that requires 291 settling parties to pay a total of $3,743,361.69 for past and future U.S. cleanup costs incurred at the Mercury Refining Superfund site in the towns of Colonie and Guilderland, New York. 74 FR 42301 (8/21/09).
EPA Region 6 announced the availability of 12 TMDLs and calculations for the Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi River Basins of Louisiana. 74 FR 42068 (8/20/09).
EPA announced the availability of its proposed decisions identifying water quality limited segments in Arizona and their associated pollutants to be listed under CWA §303(d)(2); the Agency requests public comment. 74 FR 42069 (8/20/09).
EPA determined that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the Broad Creek, Jackson Creek, and Fishing Bay Watersheds in Middlesex County, Virginia. 74 FR 42070 (8/20/09).
EPA and NOAA approved New Jersey's coastal nonpoint source pollution control program and invited public comment. 74 FR 41864 (8/19/09).
FWS, NOAA, and USDA announced that a National Aquatic Animal Health Plan for the United States is being made available for public review and comment. 74 FR 42225 (8/21/09).
FWS announced a 12-month finding on a petition to list the ashy storm-petrel as threatened or endangered under the ESA; the Agency found that listing is not warranted. 74 FR 41832 (8/19/09).
FWS, acting on a petition to list 206 species in the mountain-prairie region of the United States as threatened or endangered under the ESA, announced its 90-day finding on 38 of those species; the Agency found that listing nine of the species may be warranted and initiated a status review of the remaining 29 species to determine if listing is warranted. 74 FR 41649 (8/18/09).
FWS proposed to designate approximately 74,223 acres in Sonoma County, California, as critical habitat for the distinct population segment of the California tiger salamander. 74 FR 41662 (8/18/09).
United States v. City of Portsmouth, No. 1:09-cv-283 (D.N.H. Aug. 17, 2009). A settling CWA defendant must control discharges from its combined sewer overflows and wastewater treatment facility, must propose a schedule for construction of a secondary wastewater treatment facility, and must comply with the construction schedule for violations of an NPDES permit. 74 FR 42326 (8/21/09).
United States v. Waste Management of Wisconsin, Inc., No. 09-cv-0135 (E.D. Wis. Aug. 17, 2009). Settling CERCLA defendants must pay $1,000 and pursue insurance proceeds to reimburse U.S. costs incurred at the Watertown Tire Fire site in Watertown, Wisconsin. 74 FR 42326 (8/21/09).
United States v. City of Newburgh, No. 08 Civ. 7378 (SCR) (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 17, 2009). Under a modified consent decree, an additional 58 CERCLA defendants must pay $426,220 to the United States for contamination at the Consolidated Iron and Metal Company Superfund site in Newburgh, New York. 74 FR 42327 (8/21/09).
United States v. Magellan Ammonia Pipeline, No. 02:09-cv-2425 (D. Kan. Aug. 14, 2009). Settling CWA and CERCLA defendants must pay $3,650,000 in penalties to the United States for the discharge and inadequate reporting of anhydrous ammonia from a pipeline in Blair, Nebraska, and Kingman, Kansas, and must undertake injunctive measures to prevent a recurrence. 74 FR 42111 (8/20/09).
United States v. Ohio Edison Co., No. C2-99-1181 (S.D. Ohio Aug. 11, 2009). Under a modified 2005 consent decree, a settling CAA defendant must repower one of its coal-fired power plants near Shadyside, Ohio, using primarily renewable biomass fuel. 74 FR 41455 (8/17/09).
Congress is currently in recess but will reconvene on September 8, 2009.

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