Opinion ID: 1901409
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Compliance history of the applicant

Text: ¶ 38. With respect to this factor, the Commission made no findings on the Corps's record of compliance with mitigation requirements other than to say that it reviewed it. No information was included in the order as to what the Corps's mitigation compliance record actually is. As we said in McGowan, unreasoned preference is, by definition, arbitrary. ¶ 39. The Sierra Club argues the following: The Corps' Project Manager testified at the hearing that only 30% of the environmental mitigation required by MDEQ over the last ten years has actually been accomplished. Of the 38,595 acres of mitigation lands required to be purchased by the Corps as mitigation, only 11,515 acres have actually been purchased. ¶ 40. The Sierra Club has presented prima facie evidence that the Corps has a compliance record of less that one-third. There is nothing in the order of the Commission to rebut this contention. In its order, the Commission neglected to analyze the Corps's compliance history. This issue must therefore once again be placed before the Commission for factual findings of the Corps's compliance history and for analysis of whether this history weighs against certifying the Project.