Opinion ID: 1547295
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Award of Costs and Counsel Fees

Text: Prior to December 20, 2000, [19] but at all times relevant to the matter before us, Section 4(b) of the SMCRA provided the EHB with the authority to award costs and counsel fees in conjunction with the permitting process, and stated in pertinent part: The Environmental Hearing Board, upon the request of any party, may in its discretion order the payment of costs and attorney's fees it determines to have been reasonably incurred by such party in proceedings pursuant to this section. 52 P.S. § 1396.4(b). Section 307(b) of the CSL contains identical language except that it concludes with, in proceedings pursuant to this act. 35 P.S. § 691.307(b). [20] For reasons of public policy, Pennsylvania courts have construed these statutory sections liberally to justly compensate parties who have been obliged to incur necessary expenses in prosecuting lawful claims or in defending against unjust or unlawful ones. Tunison, 31 A.2d at 523; Steele. Initially, we note that the language of Section 4(b) of SMCRA and Section 307(b) of the CSL clearly vests broad discretion in the EHB to award costs and counsel fees. In exercising its discretion in the matter sub judice, the EHB relied upon its decision in Alice Water Protection, supra, which incorporated provisions of the Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (Federal Act), 30 U.S.C. §§ 1201 et seq. (1995), relative to an award of costs and fees. Such reliance was unnecessary and rendered more complicated a decision that could have been based on the language of the statute. Section 4(b) of the SMCRA and Section 307(b) of the CSL clearly provide statutory authority for an EHB grant of costs and counsel fees that is subject to appellate review for abuse of discretion. In the instant matter, after noting that Lucchino had no basis for his appeal and was essentially using the appeal process to harass Luzerne and the Department, the EHB found that Lucchino's actions in filing his appeal fell within the meaning of bad faith. Lucchino lacked standing because he was not even remotely affected by the Department permit he sought to challenge, but filed his appeal anyway merely to harass. He candidly admitted in his deposition that the permitted coal removal would not affect either him or his property, and that dust, noise or pollution from the removal operation would not reach him. He stated that his appeal was not directed at stopping the permitted coal removal, which he had voted in favor of in his capacity as a township supervisor, but instead was directed at Department personnel, whom Lucchino accused of violating the law. Although the EHB recognized that a citizen has a right to challenge agency actions that conflict with the law and directly affect the citizen, it properly found that the appeal here was an abuse of the administrative adjudicatory system because it did not challenge the agency's action, but was merely an attack on agency employees and officials. Where, as here, the record supports a tribunal's finding of fact that the conduct of the party was dilatory, obdurate, vexatious, or in bad faith, this Court will not disturb an award of counsel fees in the absence of an abuse of discretion. Township of South Strabane v. Piecknick, 546 Pa. 551, 686 A.2d 1297 (1996) (Awarding counsel fees appropriate If record supports finding of fact that the conduct of the party was dilatory, obdurate, or vexatious). [21] We find no abuse of discretion in this instance and an award of counsel fees is appropriate. [22] We do not reach this decision lightly for, as Lucchino reminds us, any grant of attorney's fees against an individual litigant in a suit against his government, has a potential chilling effect on the willingness of the ordinary citizen to pursue resolution of his disputes in the courts. However, recognizing that we must strike a delicate balance, it is equally important that this phrase not be employed to defeat the protections against frivolous suits afforded to a defendant.