Opinion ID: 1229973
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the chatham and wake counties action

Text: On 31 October 1990, Chatham County filed this action against the Authority, raising several claims concerning its activities in connection with a planned eight-state radioactive waste repository in North Carolina. The case was designated as an exceptional case pursuant to Rule 2.1 of the General Rules of Practice and was assigned to Judge James M. Long. Chem-Nuclear, the major contractor for the project, intervened as a defendant on 4 February 1991. Chatham County filed a three-count amended complaint on 23 January 1991, which, in Count I, alleges that the Authority committed multiple violations of its governing statute and regulations both through actions and failures to act. Count II alleges a violation of due process in that the vote by the Authority to hire Chem-Nuclear was tainted by a conflict of interest. Count III alleges that the defendants' failure to prepare an environmental impact statement prior to characterization violates the North Carolina Environmental Policy Act. The trial court denied a motion by the defendants to dismiss based on lack of standing, and thereafter, extensive discovery occurred involving numerous depositions and the production of many documents. The trial court permitted Wake County to intervene as a plaintiff on 4 September 1991. Pursuant to the order allowing it to intervene, Wake County filed a complaint that contained the same three counts as Chatham County's amended complaint. On 16 August 1991, the defendants moved to dismiss all counts of the amended complaint for lack of ripeness. The motion was based solely on the 14 August 1991 decision of this Court in Granville Co. Bd. of Comrs. v. N.C. Haz. Waste Mgmt. Comm., 329 N.C. 615, 407 S.E.2d 785, reh'g denied, 409 S.E.2d 593 (1991) [hereinafter Granville Co. ]. A hearing was held on the motion to dismiss on 4 September 1991. The trial court ruled in open court on 5 September 1991 that defendants' motion to dismiss would be allowed for Counts I and II but not Count III. Beginning on 16 September 1991, the trial court held a preliminary injunction hearing on the claim that an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment must be prepared prior to characterization. Following the hearing, the court entered an order denying Chatham and Wake Counties' motion for a preliminary injunction. On 26 September 1991, Chatham and Wake Counties filed a second amended complaint that contained two allegations: (1) that no environmental assessment had been prepared by the Authority as required by 1 NCAC 25 .0401, and (2) that no environmental impact statement had been prepared by the Authority as required by N.C.G.S. § 113A-4(2). On 30 October 1991, the trial court entered its written order granting the defendants' motion to dismiss for lack of ripeness as to Counts I and II of the amended complaint but denying the motion as to Count III. This order was certified for immediate appeal pursuant to Rule 54(b). The Court of Appeals consolidated the appeal with that of Richmond County and, on 2 February 1993, affirmed the trial court's dismissal of Counts I and II of the plaintiffs' complaint. Judge Cozort dissented. Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-30(2), plaintiffs filed their notice of appeal in this Court on 9 March 1993.