Opinion ID: 788374
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burdens Interstate Commerce

Text: 26 We next consider whether plaintiffs nonetheless have standing to challenge the flow control ordinances on the basis of the claim that they excessively burden interstate commerce. We conclude that plaintiffs do meet the zone of interests test in this regard and thus have standing to challenge the ordinances as to their burden on interstate commerce. 27 The protected against injury is an excessive burden on interstate commerce. An allegation that the plaintiff is involved in interstate commerce and that the plaintiff's interstate commerce is burdened by the ordinance in question is sufficient to satisfy the zone of interests test with respect to ordinances that assertedly impose an excessive burden on interstate commerce. 28 Even though plaintiffs do not ship any garbage collected in the Region out of state, they are engaged in interstate commerce, and their interstate commerce is allegedly burdened by the ordinances. A representative of BFI testified at trial that BFI had some contracts that are negotiated on a national or an interstate basis and that such contracts were common. The BFI representative testified that an effect on the Mississippi portion of such a contract would ripple to the portion of the contract in other states. 17 Plaintiffs argue that, because the flow control ordinances will raise their costs to service these national and regional contracts which include customer locations within the Region, they will be relatively less competitive within the Region and that this impact on these contracts will extend to the portion of the contracts covering customer locations outside of Mississippi. The ordinances thus allegedly burden plaintiffs' interstate commerce. Plaintiffs therefore are arguably within the appropriate zone of interests and, therefore, have standing to challenge whether the ordinances excessively burden interstate commerce. 18