Opinion ID: 772696
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Maintain the Sill in its Original Condition

Text: 12 We must point out that the district court's finding of negligence on the part of the United States was not based on its failure to maintain the sill in its original condition. Rather, the district court's negligence finding was based on the failure to place a physical marker or warning sign near the underwater sill. The district court expressly rejected appellants' negligence theory based on failure to maintain the sill in its original condition so that the edges remained above the waterline. The district court found that the sill's design was purely functional and was not intended to warn boaters of the sill's existence. Further, the district court found that the sill continued to perform its function in its current completely submerged condition. Because we conclude that the district court's negligence finding based on the failure to place a warning sign at the sill's location was not clearly erroneous, appellants' argument that the failure to maintain the sill was not within the discretionary function exception is irrelevant. 13 Throughout the proceeding appellants asserted that the United States was negligent for failing to maintain the sill in its original condition. Indeed, the district court found that as originally designed the sill extended across the entire width of the cut and the edges of the structure extended approximately four to five feet above the waterline, but that the sill had been completely submerged at all but the lowest water levels since approximately 1976. This is supported by the testimony of Emile Shilling, the operations project manager for the Corps with authority over this area of the Mississippi River. Shilling also testified that despite the erosion of the levees and the fact that the sill no longer extends across the entire cut, the structure still serves its purpose to reduce silt build-up in the South Pass, thereby reducing the need for maintenance dredging. Based on this evidence, the district court rejected the argument that the United States was negligent for failing to maintain the sill in its original condition as the sill's design was never intended to serve as a warning for boaters. 14 On this record, we are not left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. at 395, 68 S. Ct. at 542. Moreover, the cases cited by appellants to support their failure to maintain argument are inapposite. These cases concern the government's failure to maintain various navigational aids, such as buoys and lighthouses. The government's decision to provide the service, i.e., to place a buoy or erect a lighthouse, was held to be a discretionary decision, but the government's failure to maintain the structure was not within the discretionary function exception. See, e.g., Indian Towing Co. v. United States, 350 U.S. 61, 69-70, 76 S. Ct. 122, 126-27, 100 L. Ed. 48 (1955) (holding that decision to operate lighthouse is discretionary decision, while failure to maintain lighthouse is not within discretionary function exception); Denham v. United States, 834 F.2d 518, 520-21 (5th Cir. 1987) (holding that decision to establish recreational swimming area was discretionary, but failure to replace buoy secured by an anchor that injured a swimmer was not within discretionary function exception); Sheridan Transp. Co. v. United States, 834 F.2d 467, 473 (5th Cir. 1987) (recognizing that initial decision to place buoy 60' from wreck was a protected discretionary function, but moving the buoy another 250' away from the wreck without notifying the public was a negligent act not within the discretionary function exception), appeal after remand, 897 F.2d 795 (5th Cir. 1990); Drake Towing Co. v. United States, 765 F.2d 1060, 1064 (11th Cir. 1985) (stating that the initial decision to place aids to navigation such as the temporary buoys in this case is within the Coast Guard's discretion). The crucial distinction in the present case is that the sill was not constructed to be an aid to navigation. As the district court found, its design was not intended to warn boaters. It was not necessary for the sill to remain above water to serve its purpose of increasing the flow in the channel to reduce the need for maintenance dredging. Had the United States made a decision to physically mark the location of the sill, and then negligently executed that decision causing appellants' injuries, then these authorities would be relevant. However, those are not the facts here. 15 2. Failure to Place a Marker or Warning Sign Near the Location of the Sill 16 We also reject any claim that the United States failure to place a warning sign near the vicinity of the sill was not within the discretionary function exception. Whether the government's conduct falls within the discretionary function exception is a question of law, which we review de novo, applying the undisputed facts of the case. See Buchanan v. United States, 915 F.2d 969, 970 (5th Cir. 1990); Aragon v. United States, 146 F.3d 819, 823 (10th Cir. 1998). 17 The Suits in Admiralty Act (SAA), 46 U.S.C.A. 741-752 (1975), serves as a waiver of sovereign immunity and authorizes suits against the government in admiralty cases where such claims could be brought against a private party. But, the SAA does not waive immunity for discretionary acts of government agencies that fall within the discretionary function exception set forth in the Federal Tort Claims Act. See 28 U.S.C.A. 2680(a) (1994); Baldassaro v. United States, 64 F.3d 206, 208 (5th Cir. 1995) (holding that discretionary function exceptions applies to the SAA), cert. denied, 517 U.S. 1207, 116 S. Ct. 1823, 134 L. Ed. 2d 48 (1996); Wiggins v. United States, 799 F.2d 962, 966 (5th Cir. 1986). Under this exception, the government is not liable for [a]ny claim based upon . . . the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the Government, whether or not the discretion involved be abused. 28 U.S.C. 2680(a). 18 The Supreme Court has articulated a two part test to determine whether the challenged conduct falls within the discretionary function exception. First, the conduct must be discretionary in nature, that is it must involv[e] an element of judgment or choice. United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. 315, 322, 111 S. Ct. 1267, 1273, 113 L. Ed. 2d 335 (1991) (citations omitted). This requirement of judgment or choice is not satisfied if a 'federal statute, regulation, or policy specifically prescribes a course of action for an employee to follow,' because 'the employee has no rightful option but to adhere to the directive.' Id. (quoting Berkovitz v. United States, 486 U.S. 531, 536, 108 S. Ct. 1954, 1958-59, 100 L. Ed. 2d 531 (1988)). Second, the judgment or decision must be grounded on considerations of social, economic, or political public policy. Id. at 323-24, 111 S. Ct. at 1273-74. 19
20 The United States is under no statutory duty to establish an aid to navigation at a particular place. See Tringali Bros. v. United States, 630 F.2d 1089, 1090 (5th Cir. Unit A 1980) (holding that the Coast Guard has no statutory duty to place navigational aids in hazardous waterways but is authorized to do so). Although, the Coast Guard has the specific authority to mark obstructions to navigation pursuant to 14 U.S.C. 86, it is not required to do so. See 14 U.S.C.A. 86 (West 1990). Appellants argue that section 5(b)(4) of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) mandates the placement of a marker at the location of the sill at issue here and that failure to do so is not protected by the discretionary function exception. The district court found that the MOA did not apply to objects owned or constructed by the United States, and even so, it did not constitute a mandatory rule requiring on-site marking of the sill. We agree with the conclusion of the district court. 21 According to its terms, the MOA provides procedures on coordination to determine whether an obstruction is a hazard to navigation and procedures to determine the appropriate corrective actions to be taken by the Corps and the Coast Guard. An obstruction is defined as [a]nything that restricts, endangers, or interferes with navigation. A hazard to navigation is defined as [a]n obstruction, usually sunken, that presents sufficient danger to navigation so as to require expeditious, affirmative action such as marking, removal, or redefinition of a designated waterway to provide for navigational safety. When the Corps or Coast Guard receives a report of a sunken vessel or other obstruction, section 5 lists the required actions, including: (a) assessing the obstruction's impact upon navigation; (b) deciding if an obstruction is a hazard to navigation [and] agree[ing] upon appropriate corrective action(s) to reduce the danger to navigation to an acceptable level; and (c) disseminating navigational safety information pertaining to obstructions. 22 Section 7 of the MOA, entitled Decision-making Guidance sets forth the corrective action options and the factors relevant to deciding whether an obstruction is a hazard to navigation and if so, the appropriate course of action. The alternative corrective actions include: (1) No action; (2) Charting; (3) Broadcasting and publication of navigational safety information; (4) Marking; (5) Redefinition of navigational area; (6) Removal; and (7) Combination of the above. Section 7(b) lists several non-exclusive factors relevant to deciding if an obstruction is a hazard to navigation and if so, the appropriate action that should be taken. These factors include: 23 (1) The degree to which the obstruction restricts, endangers, or interferes with the navigability of a body of water. 24
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28 (2) Physical characteristics of the obstruction, including cargo (if any exists). 29 (3) Possible movement of the obstruction. 30 (4) Marine activity in the vicinity of the obstruction. 31 (a) Type of commercial and recreational vessel traffic. 32 (b) Density of commercial and recreational vessel traffic. 33 (c) Trends of waterway use. 34 (5) Location of obstruction with respect to existing aids to navigation. 35 (6) Prevailing and historical weather conditions. 36 (7) Length of time the obstruction has been in existence. 37 (8) History of vessel accidents involving the obstruction. 38 The thrust of appellants' claim of error is that section 5(b)(4), which requires an owner to immediately mark a hazard to navigation, applies to the United States and is a mandatory rule or policy that prescribes a fixed course of conduct, requiring no element of judgment or choice. Thus, the failure to adhere to this provision is not protected by the discretionary function exception. See Berkovitz, 486 U.S. at 536, 108 S. Ct. at 1958. Section 5(b)(4) provides: 39 Marking Issues. In every case where an obstruction is declared to be a hazard to navigation, the location will be marked immediately by the owner. In the event that the owner cannot be identified, refuses to mark the obstruction, inadequately marks the obstruction, or is otherwise unable to properly mark it, the Coast Guard has authority under 14 U.S.C. [] 86 to take appropriate action. 40 Appellants focus on the phrase in every case and the absence of any express language that the MOA does not apply to government owned structures to support their assertion that this is a mandatory non-discretionary requirement applicable to the United States. On the other hand, we note that the MOA also does not expressly state that it does apply to government owned structures. Shilling testified that the MOA only applied to privately owned structures, but that the Corps and the Coast Guard considered the same factors listed in the MOA to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to government owned obstructions or hazards to navigation. Appellants presented no contradictory evidence to support their position other than the agreement itself. 41 We agree with the interpretation adopted by the district court and supported by Shilling's testimony that the MOA and specifically section 5(b)(4) applies only to privately owned structures. This interpretation is consistent with an overall reading of the document. Numerous references to the owner of an obstruction or sunken vessel are made throughout the agreement. In each case, the logical reading is that the referenced owner is a private third party other than the Corps, the Coast Guard, or any other government agency. For example, section 5(b)(4) refers to the Coast Guard's authority under 14 U.S.C. 86 to mark the obstruction if the owner cannot be identified or fails to adequately mark the hazard. Section 86 not only gives the Coast Guard authority to mark obstructions, but also makes the owner liable to the United States for the costs of marking the hazard. See 14 U.S.C. 86. When both provisions are read in context, it does not make sense for the term owner to also refer to the United States. The issues of identification of the owner, refusal to mark, inability to mark, or inadequate marking mentioned in section 5(b)(4) are only pertinent to private owners. Additionally, Shilling's testimony that this provision is directed primarily at sunken vessels or other privately owned obstructions that are not shown on the authorized navigational charts supports the conclusion that this provision applies only to private owners. 42 Moreover, even if the MOA is interpreted to apply to government owned structures as well, notwithstanding section 5(b)(4), marking the location of a hazard to navigation is not a mandatory corrective action. As discussed above, section 7(a) lists the alternative options once the Corps and Coast Guard decide that an object is a hazard to navigation. Marking is only one of the options and is not mandated. Thus, we conclude that MOA does not apply to government owned structures or hazards, nor is physically marking the location of a hazard to navigation a mandatory requirement. That being the case, the decision of whether or not to physically mark the sill's location clearly involved an element of judgment or choice. As Shilling testified, the Corps considers the same options and factors outlined in the MOA to determine the appropriate course of action for notifying the public of the existence of a hazard to navigation. Marking is only one of the available options. Other options include charting, removal, dissemination of navigational safety information, redefinition of the navigational waterway, no action, or any combination. The Corps must clearly use its judgment to choose among the available alternatives and determine the appropriate course of action. 43
44 The next question is whether the government's decision as to the appropriate action for notifying the public of the existence of the sill was based on considerations of public policy. For essentially the same reasons enunciated by the district court, we hold that the government's decision was grounded in public policy considerations. The underlying facts on this point are not disputed by appellants. As the district court stated: 45 In determining when and whether to mark a public work such as the sill in question, the United States considers, among other things: the degree of danger an object poses, the vessel traffic type and density, the location of the object in relation to the navigable channel, the history of vessel accidents, and the feasibility and economics, including costs, of erecting and maintaining physical markers in light of the available resources. . . . These are policy factors which require weighing competing interests to decide a course of action. These guidelines, leave room for and indeed require, the exercise of policy judgment based upon the resources available and the relative risks to the public health and safety from alternative actions. 46 Theriot v. United States, Nos. 96-1532, 96-1954, slip op. at 7 (W.D. La. Aug. 19, 1997). This finding is fully supported by Shilling's testimony and is not disputed by appellants. Thus, it is clear that the government's decision whether to place a warning sign or marker at the sill's location was a discretionary decision that required judgment or choice and one that was grounded in public policy considerations. Accord Drake Towing Co. v. United States, 765 F.2d 1060, 1064 (11th Cir. 1985) (stating that the initial decision to place aids to navigation such as the temporary buoys in this case is within the Coast Guard's discretion); see also Indian Towing Co. v. United States, 350 U.S. 61, 69, 76 S. Ct. 122, 126-27 (1955) (holding that decision to operate a lighthouse service as an aid to navigation is an exercise of discretion); Wiggins v. United States, 799 F.2d 962, 966-67 (5th Cir. 1986) (holding that Corps' decision not to remove submerged unmarked piling was within discretionary function exception).