Source: https://nqsc.org/1981_Lawsuit.html
Timestamp: 2017-09-26 14:40:44
Document Index: 645019540

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1301', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 4911', '§ 1431', '§ 1348', '§ 5', '§ 1348', '§ 702', '§ 706']

671 F.2d 54
James M. DiPERRI, et al., Plaintiffs, Appellants,
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, et al., Defendants, Appellees.
For the reasons stated by the district court in its opinion, we are satisfied that the complaint failed to make out causes of action either in tort or for constitutional deprivation.<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al> We need not repeat what the district court has already properly stated on this score. The only issue which we believe requires further discussion is whether plaintiffs may have stated a claim for injunctive relief against the FAA under the Federal Aviation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq. We turn, then, to that issue.
But while section 1431 may empower the FAA to promulgate airport noise abatement regulations, the agency has not done so. There are, in fact, so far as we can determine, no airport (as opposed to aircraft ) noise abatement regulations presently in effect pursuant to this authority. The FAA has so far elected to limit its regulation of aircraft noise primarily to noise abatement design criteria for new aircraft.<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al> See, e.g., 14 C.F.R. §§ 36 and 91.301-311. In these regulations, the FAA has been careful to avoid exercising authority over airport noise. The regulations governing noise standards, for example, specifically state that "(n)o determination is made, under this part, that these noise levels are or should be acceptable or unacceptable for operation at, into, or out of, any airport." 14 C.F.R. § 36.5. In the absence of any applicable airport noise regulation, the conduct alleged in the complaint does not support an action against the Administrator under the citizen suit provision in 42 U.S.C. § 4911.
One difficulty with this theory (putting aside the fact that it was never really articulated to the district court) is that we find little reason to believe that section 1348(c) was designed to protect persons and property against noise. First, the statute appears on its face to be concerned with air and ground safety rather than airport noise. There is evidence in the legislative history that air disasters-not environmental concerns-were what motivated Congress to require the FAA to regulate flight patterns. See H.R.Rep.No.2360, 85th Cong., 2d Sess., reprinted in (1958) U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 3741, 3742. Second, as examined above, Congress has subsequently passed specific legislation under a different section of the Federal Aviation Act giving the FAA explicit, discretionary power to control aircraft noise. See 49 U.S.C. § 1431. The enactment of this express statute relating specifically to noise abatement suggests that Congress saw section 1431 rather than section 1348 as the vehicle through which the FAA would exercise its discretionary authority in the noise abatement area. Third, where a party sought to compel the FAA to act on a military aircraft noise problem under its section 1348 authority, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the FAA was not required to consider noise in its regulations passed under section 1348-and so no suit would lie to compel the agency to do so. See Westside Property Owners v. Schlesinger, 597 F.2d 1214 <http://openjurist.org/597/f2d/1214>, 1221-22 (9th Cir. 1979). The same rationale would apply equally to civilian aircraft as well.
Finally, if any coherent federal policy can be discerned, it is that aircraft noise abatement with respect to particular airports is primarily up to the local proprietor, not the FAA. The district court pointed out that requests for noise abatement relief such as moratoriums on airport expansion, airport curfews, or restrictions on the types of planes allowed to use Logan, have to be addressed to Massport rather than to the FAA. Massport, stated the court, "is the entity authorized to impose reasonable restrictions on which aircraft may use Logan Airport." The cases strongly support the district court's view. The Supreme Court has said that the airport proprietor-not the federal government-is liable for inverse condemnation suits due to overflights, see Griggs v. Allegheny County, 369 U.S. 84 <http://openjurist.org/369/us/84>, 82 S.Ct. 531, 7 L.Ed.2d 585 (1962), and a number of courts have said that local proprietors are also liable for nuisance claims brought by local residents. E.g., Greater Westchester v. City of Los Angeles, 26 Cal.3d 86, 160 Cal.Rptr. 733, 603 P.2d 1329 (1979), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 820, 101 S.Ct. 77, 66 L.Ed.2d 22 (1980); Hub Theatres, Inc. v. Massachusetts Port Authority, 370 Mass. 153, 346 N.E.2d 371, cert. denied, 429 U.S. 891, 97 S.Ct. 249, 50 L.Ed.2d 174 (1976) (Massport enjoys limited immunity from nuisance suits brought by property owners, but Massport may not act to cause unreasonable or unnecessary damage to community). In part because of this assignment of liability, most courts have held that airport proprietors have primary responsibility to reduce airport noise. See Santa Monica Airport Association v. City of Santa Monica, 659 F.2d 100 <http://openjurist.org/659/f2d/100> (9th Cir. 1981) (airport proprietor has authority to impose flight curfew and aircraft restrictions without preemption by FAA); British Airways Board v. Port Authority of New York, 558 F.2d 75 <http://openjurist.org/558/f2d/75> (2d Cir. 1977) (upholding temporary ban on operation of Concorde at New York airport). But cf. Luedtke v. County of Milwaukee, 521 F.2d 387 <http://openjurist.org/521/f2d/387>, 390-91 (7th Cir. 1975) (court-ordered regulation of airport operations would violate preemption of federal authority over aircraft noise). The FAA itself has steadfastly maintained that the local proprietor has primary responsibility for the regulation of airport noise. In a 1976 Noise Abatement Policy Statement, the FAA and the Department of Transportation stated that
Were courts ordinarily to recognize noise abatement suits against the FAA under the statutory authority presented in section 1348, this could conflict with the scheme of allocated responsibilities currently endorsed by the FAA and by the courts.<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al> Thus we do not believe that a suit for an injunction requiring alteration of FAA flight rules under section 1348, even had it been properly presented to the district court, would be an appropriate means to accomplish airport noise abatement. Noise complaints must be handled by local proprietors using their available authority to impose curfews, to ban certain aircraft, to negotiate alternative flight patterns acceptable to the FAA, to limit airport expansion, etc.-or, if by the FAA, under its discretionary authority to issue aircraft noise regulations pursuant to section 1431.
These allegations raise the question whether a claim is stated by intimations that FAA flight pattern rules are hazardous to plaintiffs' safety on the ground. See 49 U.S.C. § 1348(c) (directing FAA Administrator "to prescribe air traffic rules ... for the protection of persons and property on the ground...."). Courts owe great deference to FAA determinations in an area-such as flight patterns-where the agency has expertise and is the vehicle chosen by Congress to accomplish the regulations. See K. Davis, 1 Administrative Law Treatise § 5.03-.05 (1958 ed.). For these reasons, courts are exceedingly slow to find an FAA rule or action regarding air flight or aircraft safety to be "arbitrary" or "irrational." See Virginians For Dulles v. Volpe, 541 F.2d 442 <http://openjurist.org/541/f2d/442>, 447 (4th Cir. 1976) (FAA proprietary rules for National Airport regarding flight curfews, flight scheduling, etc., not violative of Administrative Procedure Act); Air Line Pilots Association v. Federal Aviation Administration, 454 F.2d 1052 <http://openjurist.org/454/f2d/1052>, 1054 (D.C.Cir.1971) (FAA rules regarding minimum equipment for aircraft not irrational). Nonetheless, the fact that plaintiffs are unlikely to persuade a court to overturn the judgment of the agency is not by itself a basis for a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal. See Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 <http://openjurist.org/355/us/41>, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957) (courts should be slow to dismiss claims unless it is clear "beyond doubt" that plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim). FAA rules governing takeoff and landing flight patterns are, by statute, subject to the limitations of the Administrative Procedure Act. See 49 U.S.C. § 1348(d). If a plaintiff can establish that he is a person "aggrieved" within the meaning of the APA, 5 U.S.C. § 702, and that an FAA safety-related rule or action, including an FAA-established flight pattern, is so indefensible as to be "arbitrary" within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. § 706, he might be entitled to relief. Here plaintiffs allege that the FAA is either requiring or permitting planes to fly dangerously close to a large oil tank farm which is, in turn, close to plaintiffs' residential area. Generously construed, the allegations are sufficient, if barely so, to state a claim of "arbitrary" action by the FAA.<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al> Whether, given the FAA's extensive powers in this area, such a claim of arbitrariness can possibly be established is something else again, but we think a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal as to this one issue is premature.
In conclusion, plaintiffs have alleged enough to state a claim under the Federal Aviation Act relative to the FAA's supposedly unsafe flight pattern which permits or requires planes to fly over the oil tank farm at City Point but have failed to do so relative to any of their noise complaints. The latter must be addressed to Massport.<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al> Neither section 1348 nor section 1431 presently support a cause of action by a private plaintiff seeking to compel the FAA to resolve airport noise problems at a local airport.
<http://openjurist.org/671/f2d/54/james-m-diperri-et-al-v-federal-aviation-administration-et-al>
In its opinion, the district court dismissed the pendent state claims against the two defendants pursuant to its discretionary authority over such matters. United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715 <http://openjurist.org/383/us/715>, 726-27, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 1139, 16 L.Ed.2d 218 (1966). Our conclusion that plaintiffs have narrowly stated a claim with respect to the safety aspects of the City Point flight patterns does not disturb the correctness of that ruling, which we affirm. Given present authority that the local interest in controlling airport noise takes precedence over the federal interest, resolution of noise issues in a state court would continue to be appropriate. Cf. Burford v. Sun Oil Co., 319 U.S. 315 <http://openjurist.org/319/us/315>, 63 S.Ct. 1098, 87 L.Ed. 1424 (1941) (federal courts may equitably decline jurisdiction to avoid needless friction with state and local policies)