Opinion ID: 365968
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: PCBs Proceedings.

Text: 14 We set forth the history of EPA's PCBs proceedings in detail because it bears on both the posture of this appeal and the interpretation of the statutes that Congress passed in 1976 and 1977. In sum, the history of EPA's PCBs proceedings is a history of frustration of a congressional mandate for action. Regulatory steps that Congress expected to take little more than One year took Four years. 15 On October 18, 1972, Congress enacted the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (1972 Act or the Act), 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251-1376 (1976). The 1972 Act prescribed a rigid schedule for promulgation of effluent standards for toxic substances. Section 307(a), 33 U.S.C. § 1317(a) (1976), 15 directed EPA to publish a list of toxic substances within ninety days, propose effluent standards for the listed substances within 180 days after listing, and promulgate final effluent standards within six months after the proposed standards. Thus, EPA was to promulgate toxic effluent regulations by early 1974. 16 In May 1973, after EPA failed to meet its first deadline, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) sued EPA to hasten EPA action and bring about publication of a toxic substances list. This suit ended in a consent decree in June 1973, fixing a timetable for EPA. NRDC v. Fri, 3 Envir.L.Rep. (Envir.Law Inst.) 20587 (D.D.C.1973). Pursuant to this timetable, EPA issued, in July 1973, a proposed list of nine toxic substances, including PCBs, 38 Fed.Reg. 18044 (1973), and, in September 1973, a final list of the same nine substances. 38 Fed.Reg. 24342 (1973). In December 1973, EPA proposed standards for the nine substances. 38 Fed.Reg. 35388 (1973). 16 In April and May 1974, EPA held an evidentiary hearing on the proposed standards in which numerous objecting parties participated. 17 However, after the hearing, EPA failed to promulgate final standards for any of the nine substances. There were several causes for this failure. EPA contended that it lacked sufficient data to set regulations that would survive judicial review. 17 Congressmen later expressed their belief that the procedures employed by EPA substantially impeded effective regulation due to their excessive complexity and formality. 18 Finally, EPA experienced difficulty in responding to the many concerns raised by industry representatives at the hearing. Some of those concerns had little bearing on regulation, 19 but others were weighty. 20 18 EPA's failure to promulgate any toxic standards triggered a waive of suits by environmental groups seeking to compel EPA to promulgate regulations for PCBs and other toxic substances. 21 Before those suits could be resolved, EPA developed a new approach to toxics regulation, and negotiated a consent decree with the environmental groups that was accepted, with modifications in June 1976, by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. NRDC v. Train, 8 ERC (BNA) 2120, 2122 (1976) (Flannery decree), Rev'd in part on other grounds sub nom. NRDC v. Costle, 183 U.S.App.D.C. 11, 561 F.2d 904 (1977). EPA's new approach had two elements. First, EPA committed itself to controlling toxic substances under provisions of the 1972 Act other than section 307(a), chiefly sections 301 and 304, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311 & 1314 (1976), which allowed EPA to regulate on an industry-by-industry basis using informal rulemaking proceedings and feasibility criteria. Second, EPA committed itself to make at least limited use of section 307(a): it would regulate some substances, including PCBs, under the provision; and it would use the provision to limit or prohibit discharges of hazardous substances for some or all industrial categories as a supplement to its industry-by-industry approach. 22 19 Following the failure in 1974 of its initial regulatory efforts, and consistent with the regulatory program and consent decree eventually adopted, EPA set out in 1975 to investigate PCBs more thoroughly. It commissioned a survey of the scientific literature on PCBs, and sponsored a national conference on PCBs in November 1975. 23 It engaged Dr. Ian Nisbet, an expert in toxicity of PCBs, to prepare a Criteria Document. 24 The Criteria Document served to collect and focus past research on more chlorinated PCBs, but as we will discuss, it contained substantially less material on less chlorinated PCBs. 20 Based on these preparations, EPA proposed effluent standards for PCBs discharges on July 14, 1976. The proposed standards allowed on the average no more than one part per billion of PCBs in certain discharges by manufacturers of electrical equipment, and prohibited any PCBs in other discharges by manufacturers of electrical equipment and in all discharges by manufacturers of PCBs. The proposed regulations made no distinction between more chlorinated PCBs and less chlorinated PCBs. See 41 Fed.Reg. 30476-77 (1976). 21 On August 20, EPA commenced a formal rulemaking hearing before an administrative law judge on the proposed PCBs standards, which was concluded on November 30 after twenty-one days of testimony. In addition to the Criteria Document, EPA presented testimony of twenty-two witnesses. See 42 Fed.Reg. 6532. The PCB Ad Hoc Committee of the Electronics Industry Association, consisting of nine manufacturers of capacitors, proposed more relaxed standards of 100 parts per billion for discharges of one type of less chlorinated PCBs, Aroclor 1016, and Westinghouse Electric Corp. proposed a standard of 50 parts per billion for discharges of another, Aroclor 1242. These parties (hereafter, industry petitioners) presented the testimony of seven witnesses. See id. at 6532, 6541. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) presented the testimony of one witness concerning carcinogenic effects of PCBs. Three other parties participated in the hearing, and thirteen persons or entities filed written comments. At the close of the hearing, the record was furnished to the EPA Administrator (Administrator) for his consideration. 25 22 In January 1977, the Administrator filed his final decision 26 on PCBs standards with the EPA hearing clerk, and, on February 2, 1977, published the standards. 42 Fed.Reg. 6532 (1977). The final standards were more stringent than the proposed standards in that they prohibited any PCBs in discharges of manufacturers of electrical equipment. 23 On January 19, 1977, EDF petitioned this court for review of the regulations. On January 20, industry petitioners petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and, on April 15, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society of America petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The petitions in the Third and Fifth Circuits were transferred to this court, and the cases were consolidated. A motion by industry petitioners for a stay of the regulations was denied by this court. On December 27, 1977, during the pendency of this appeal, Congress enacted the Clean Water Act of 1977, Pub.L.No.95-217, 91 Stat. 1566, which amended the 1972 Act. Compliance with the PCBs regulations was required by February 2, 1978. 42 Fed.Reg. 6555. 24