Source: https://openjurist.org/288/f3d/1140/tillamook-county-v-us-army-corps-of-engineers
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 18:20:12+00:00

Document:
City of McMinnville, acting by and through its Water and Light Commission, Defendant-Intervenor-Appellee.
Argued and Submitted February 6, 2002.
Marianne G. Dugan, Eugene, Oregon, for the plaintiff-appellant.
David J. Lazerwitz, Washington, District of Columbia; Thomas C. Lee, Portland, Oregon, for the defendant-appellant.
G. Kevin Kiely, Portland, Oregon; Clark I. Balfour, Portland, Oregon, for the defendant-intervenor-appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon (Eugene), Garr M. King, District Judge, Presiding.
Before: POLITZ,* CANBY, and KLEINFELD, Circuit Judges.
Tillamook County appeals the denial of its motion for preliminary injunction to prevent intervenor-defendant the City of McMinnville, Oregon, from continuing the enlargement of its existing municipal water supply reservoir along the Nestucca River. The County complains that the finding by the United States Army Corps of Engineers that the proposed expansion would not have a significant environmental impact was arbitrary and capricious, and that the district court abused its discretion in denying the preliminary injunction. Concluding that the Corps conducted an adequate investigation and that the district court did not abuse its discretion, we affirm.
In seeking to obtain federal and state authorization for the proposed expansion of the reservoir, the Water Commission of the City of McMinnville applied for a dredge or fill permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to fill 2.4 acres of navigable waters under section 404 of the Clean Water Act.2 The issuance of a section 404 permit is considered a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"),3 therefore, the Corps was required to prepare a draft and final environmental assessment of the project.
The Corps prepared an initial assessment and, following a period of public comment and a review process, determined that the project would not have a significant impact on the environment. In February 2001, the Corps issued its final environmental assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, and a section 404 permit to the Commission to place fill material in 2.36 acres of navigable waters.4 After the issuance of the section 404 permit, the Commission began construction of the reservoir and at the time of this appeal had completed the initial stages of construction, required under the permit's terms to be completed prior to September 15, 2001. Under the Commission's current construction schedule, the expanded reservoir will be filled in early 2003.
In June 2001, the County brought the instant action5 against the Commission and moved for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, claiming that the Corps failed to comply adequately with the NEPA and the Clean Water Act in the course of issuing the section 404 permit. The district court denied the temporary restraining order and we dismissed the County's appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction.
In September 2001, the district court denied the County's motion for a preliminary injunction. On October 3, 2001, the County filed the instant appeal and moved for an emergency stay pending appeal which we denied in November 2001.
The County contends that the Corps' decision not to prepare an EIS based on its conclusion that there would be no significant environmental impact violated the NEPA because of the significant and uncertain impacts of the proposed expansion. The County adds that even if an EIS would not be required under the NEPA the environmental assessment failed to evaluate adequately alternatives and to describe mitigation measures under the proposed action. We are not persuaded.
The County complains that the environmental assessment prepared by the Corps failed to adequately describe mitigation measures pertaining to sediment and erosion control and dam safety and analyze an adequate range of alternatives. These contentions lack merit. While the Corps was required to develop the proposed mitigation measures "to a reasonable degree," it was not required to develop a complete mitigation plan detailing the "precise nature... of the mitigation measures" nor were the measures required to "completely compensate for adverse environmental impacts."21 The Corps adequately described specific mitigation measures in the environmental assessment and section 404 permit which require the permittee to comply with dam safety regulations established by the Oregon Water Resources Department, and to take certain steps to prevent erosion at wetland erosion sites and compensate for wetland loss caused by reservoir expansion.
The Council on Environmental Quality regulations require that an environmental assessment "include brief discussions" of the need for the proposed action, alternatives as required by the NEPA, and "the environmental impacts of the proposed action."22 Only "practicable alternatives" need be discussed.23 We review "an agency's range of alternatives under a `rule of reason' standard which requires an agency to set forth only those alternatives necessary to permit a reasoned choice."24 The Corps considered a number of alternatives in evaluating the City's water needs, including: (a) no action; (b) four alternative dam locations in the region; (c) differing reservoir levels; (d) phased project implementation; and (e) alternative water supply sources including other surface water sources, ground water, and conservation. The Corps rejected these alternatives in its final environmental assessment for various reasons. Under the circumstances, we cannot say that the Corps failed to take the necessary hard look at the environmental impact of the proposed expansion.
Walczak v. EPL Prolong, Inc., 198 F.3d 725, 730 (9th Cir.1999).
Los Angeles Mem'l Coliseum Comm'n v. NFL, 634 F.2d 1197, 1201 (9th Cir.1980).
Alaska v. Native Vill. of Venetie, 856 F.2d 1384, 1388-89 (9th Cir.1988).
Greenpeace Action v. Franklin, 14 F.3d 1324, 1331-32 (9th Cir.1993) (citations omitted).
Cal. Trout v. Schaefer, 58 F.3d 469, 473 (9th Cir.1995) (citations omitted).
Robertson v. Methow Valley Citizens Council, 490 U.S. 332, 351, 109 S.Ct. 1835, 104 L.Ed.2d 351 (1989).
Robertson, 490 U.S. at 350, 109 S.Ct. 1835.
Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council, Inc. v. Karlen, 444 U.S. 223, 227, 100 S.Ct. 497, 62 L.Ed.2d 433 (1980) (citations omitted).
40 C.F.R. § 1500.2et seq.
40 C.F.R. § 1508.13;LaFlamme v. FERC, 945 F.2d 1124, 1127 (9th Cir.1991).
Wetlands Action Network v. U.S. Army Corps of Eng'rs, 222 F.3d 1105, 1121 (9th Cir.2000), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 41, 151 L.Ed.2d 14 (2001).
See id. § 230.10(a). "An alternative is practicable if it is available and capable of being done after taking into consideration cost, existing technology, and logistics in light of overall project purposes." Id. § 230.10(a)(2).
Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Bonneville Power Admin., 117 F.3d 1520, 1538 (9th Cir.1997) (citations omitted).

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 § 1500
 § 1508
 v. 
 v. 
 § 230
 § 230
 v.