Source: http://www.dec.ny.gov/hearings/37932.html
Timestamp: 2014-04-18 17:01:37
Document Index: 32250176

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 420', '§ 624', '§ 624', '§ 8', '§ 617', 'arts 420', '§ 809', 'art 624', '§8', 'art 616', '§ 624', 'art 624', 'art 580', '§ 624']

Girouard, Adrian - Ruling, January 11, 2001 - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
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Application for a Mined Land Reclamation Permit pursuant
to Article 23 of the Environmental Conservation Law and
Parts 420-426 and 624 of Title 6 of the New York Compilation
By letter dated January 12, 2001, Mr. Thomas requested of Chief Administrative Law Judge Daniel E. Louis additional time to file an appeal from the ALJ's ruling. By letter dated January 17, 2001, Chief ALJ Louis provided Mr. Thomas until January 26, 2001 to submit his appeal. On February 5, 2001, Kirk Gagnier filed a response to Mr. Thomas' appeal on behalf of the applicant.1
With this decision, I affirm the ALJ's findings. The regulations that govern DEC's permit hearings require that a petition for party status provides, inter alia, the precise grounds for opposition or support and that it identifies "any interest relation to statutes administered by the department relevant to the project . . ." 6 NYCRR §§ 624.5(b)(iii), (v). In addition, § 624.4(c)(2) sets forth the standards for adjudicable issues as substantive and significant.2 Where the staff, as here, has determined that the application meets the statutory and regulatory requirements, a petitioner seeking party status has the burden of showing that a proposed issue is substantive and significant. As explained in the hearing notice, because ECL § 8-0111(5)(c) and § 617.5(c)(36) of 6 NYCRR identify certain projects within the Adirondack Park as excluded from SEQRA review, DEC's jurisdiction is limited to the specific actions related to mining and reclamation pursuant to Article 23 of the ECL and Parts 420-426 of 6 NYCRR. It is the APA that has authority in this application to do the broader environmental review which is analogous to SEQRA. See, § 809(10) of the Adirondack Park Agency Act (APAA).
Mr. Thomas' petition, while constituting comment on the proposed project, does not meet the standards under Part 624 for party status or adjudicable issue identification. In the petition Mr. Thomas gives a general viewpoint about noise, negative impacts on property values and water contamination. He further states an expectation of having witnesses that would testify to adverse impacts of noise and his prediction that a number of residents will address how the mine will not fit in with the character of the community. The referenced September 21, 2000 letter is also general in its predictions that the mine would not be compatible with local land uses citing traffic and noise concerns. In that letter he also lists concerns such as water quality, drainage, topography, air quality, noise levels, wildlife, aesthetics and adjoining land uses. With some of these listed items are also conclusory remarks such as "[a] mine will undoubtedly entail digging up large sections of the ground that will leave gaping holes" and "[t]he exhaust emissions for such heavy equipment, as well as the mining operations itself, will adversely impact air quality." Mr. Thomas fails to cite to any statutory or regulatory criteria that are likely to be violated by the proposed project nor does he make any offer of proof concerning these assertions. For several of these objections such as community character, scenic vistas, and traffic, DEC does not have jurisdiction to review potential impacts based upon the limitations set forth in ECL
§8-0111(5)(c).
Mr. Thomas' citation to Matter of the Application of Lane Construction, Commissioner's Decision (June 26, 1998) regarding visual impacts is misplaced. In that permit proceeding DEC was the lead agency under SEQRA and thus had jurisdiction to analyze visual impacts. Moreover, in that proceeding, the petitioners (who became parties in the adjudicatory hearing) provided the ALJ with an adequate offer of proof to join the issue. See, e.g., Matter of the Application of Lane Construction, Interim Rulings, February 22, 1996.3
Mr. Thomas also cites to the public statement of a property owner, David Johnson, at the legislative hearing as proof that ALJ Goldberger did not properly consider the issues presented in his petition. Mr. Johnson, a water quality professional and a resident of the Town of Brighton, gave an unsworn statement with general conclusions about how the proposed mine would contaminate the water table on Jones Hill. (Leg. Hrg. Transcript, pp.54-58). These comments do not comprise an offer of proof and as Mr. Thomas acknowledges in his appeal, he did not even identify Mr. Johnson or his specific opinion in his motion papers.4
Last, Mr. Thomas blames the applicant for any deficiencies in his petition based upon Ms. Julie King's denial of Mr. Thomas' telephoned request for access to the property to do an inspection.5 Mr. Thomas states that "he wanted to bring a water expert, noise expert and property valuation expert on the property so that they could evaluate the situation and render opinions." DEC's permit hearing regulations provide that discovery is limited to what is afforded under Part 616 (Freedom of Information) prior to the issues conference except under a demonstration of extraordinary circumstances. 6 NYCRR § 624.7(a). In the context of the APA proceeding, the record reflects the ALJ made it clear that the applicant would have to allow access to the parties under limited circumstances so that they could prepare their proof for the adjudicatory hearing. (Issues Conf. Transcript, pp. 58-59, 85-87, 132-133).
STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF FRANKLIN
In the matter of the mined land permit application pursuant
ALJ Rulings on Issues
At 10:15 a.m. on January 9, 2001, the joint DEC/APA issues/prehearing conference was convened at the Town of Brighton Town Hall. This ruling only addresses the determination of the administrative law judge with respect to adjudicable issues and identification of parties pursuant to Part 624 of Title 6 of NYCRR. A separate order is to be issued that addresses the issues to be heard at a future adjudicatory hearing pursuant to Part 580 of APA's regulations. In attendance were DEC Region 5 attorney Chris Lacombe, APA Senior Attorney Mitch Goroski, Ms. Julie King, on behalf of the applicant Adrian Girouard (her father), petitioner William R. Thomas, Esq., and community residents Linda Dobson, Diane Griffin, Charles H. Reiners, Stanford H. Shaw, Jr., and Joseph C. Reiners, Jr. There were also several other staff members of DEC and APA and observers.1
1 The ALJ inquired of Ms. King as to her status with respect to the application. She is the daughter of the applicant, has been designated his agent on the application to DEC and may participate in the operation if it is permitted. Based upon a misunderstanding by Ms. King that the APA would provide counsel to her in these proceedings, there was a discussion at the issues conference as to whether Ms. King should seek counsel to represent her and her father but she expressed her desire to continue as this stage without obtaining such representation. It was made clear by the ALJ that at any time Ms. King and/or Mr. Girouard were free to obtain counsel.
1 Mr. Gagnier filed a notice of appearance with ALJ Goldberger on January 24, 2001.
2 An issue is substantive if there is sufficient doubt about the applicant's ability to meet statutory or regulatory criteria applicable to the project, such that a reasonable person would require further inquiry. An issue is significant if it has the potential to result in the denial of a permit, a major modification to the proposed project or the imposition of significant permit conditions in addition to those in the draft permit. 6 NYCRR §§ 624.4(c)(2),(3).
3 Early in the Lane proceeding, the ALJ's did direct the applicant to arrange for a site visit by a proposed intervenor's biological expert and DEC staff to assess the potential for timber rattlesnake habitat. While this directive took place prior to the identification of issues and parties, the petitioner had a very specific request based upon the assessment of its own expert. In addition, as noted in the ruling, the intervenors presented "anecdotal and historical evidence" in support of its position. In the matter at hand, there is no such specific identification of a potential environmental issue nor tangible support of any kind for the general allegations made by Mr. Thomas. See, Lane, Preliminary Rulings of the ALJ's, September 21, 1995.
4 Mr. Johnson did not attend the issues/prehearing conference nor did he petition to intervene in these proceedings.
5 Ms. King is the daughter of the applicant and his representative in these proceedings.