Center for Biological Diversity et al v. Environmental Protection Agency et al

Filing 84

ORDER TO EXTEND STAY AND CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE. Status Report due by 9/30/2011. Further Case Management Conference reset for 10/14/2011 at 01:30 PM in Courtroom G, 15th Floor, San Francisco. Signed by Judge Joseph C. Spero on 7/29/11. (klh, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 8/1/2011)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Justin Augustine (CA Bar No. 235561)
Jaclyn Lopez (CA Bar No. 258589)
Center for Biological Diversity
351 California Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
Collette L. Adkins Giese (MN Bar No. 035059X)*
Center for Biological Diversity
8640 Coral Sea Street Northeast
Minneapolis, MN 55449-5600
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
Michael W. Graf (CA Bar No. 136172)
Law Offices
227 Behrens Street
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Tel: [phone];Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
*Granted admission pro hac vice

13
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

14
15
16
17
18

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY, a non-profit organization; and
PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK
NORTH AMERICA, a non-profit
organization;

19
20
21
22

Plaintiffs,
v.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY; and LISA JACKSON,
Administrator, U.S. EPA;

23

Defendants,

24

CROP LIFE AMERICA, AMERICAN
FARM BUREAU FEDERATION,
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL,
and RECKITT BENCKISER

25
26
27
28

Defendant-Intervenors.
_____________________________________

)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)

Case No. CV-11-0293-JCS
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION
TO EXTEND STAY
Status Conference Date: August 12, 2011
Time: 1:30 PM
Courtroom A – 15th Floor
Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero

____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
1
CV-11-0293-JCS

1

This status report is filed pursuant to the Court’s June 3, 2011, order. In light of the

2

developments described below, all parties respectfully request that the Court extend the stay of

3

litigation by approximately 60 days from August 12, 2011 until October 14, 2011 and continue the

4

status conference now set for August 12, 2011 to October 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. (or to such date and

5

time that is convenient for the Court).

6

On January 20, 2011, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pesticide Action Network

7

North America (collectively “Plaintiffs”) initiated the instant litigation, alleging that the Environmental

8

Protection Agency and its administrator, Lisa Jackson, (collectively “Defendants”) violated Section

9

7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) by failing to consult on the effects of EPA-registered

10

pesticides on endangered and threatened species and their designated critical habitat throughout the

11

United States of America. See Docket. No. 1. On March 14, 2011, Defendants and Plaintiffs jointly

12

filed a motion to stay the litigation to conserve judicial resources while the parties explored the

13

possibility of settlement. See Docket No. 13. The Court granted the motion on March 15, 2011. See

14

Docket No. 14.

15

On May 13, 2011, the parties met in Washington, D.C. and engaged in exploratory discussions

16

concerning the possibility of settlement, as well as technical issues concerning EPA’s current

17

endangered species risk assessment methods and associated regulatory programs. Proposed Intervenors

18

were also present at the meeting.

19

On June 3, 2011, the Court held an intervention hearing and granted in part and denied in part

20

the motions from 1) Crop Life America, 2) American Farm Bureau Federation, 3) American Chemistry

21

Council and 4) Reckitt Benckiser (collectively “Intervenors”). The Court also set a status conference

22

for August 12, 2011, and ordered the parties to submit a status report that “include[s] a description of

23

the status of negotiations and a plan for the remainder of the case.”

24

On June 21, 2011, the parties, including Intervenors, met in Washington, D.C. and held further

25

discussions regarding the possibility of settlement. An additional meeting was held by phone on July

26

18, 2011. Plaintiffs have provided Defendants proposed settlement frameworks, and Defendants are

27

working toward responding to those proposals. The parties are committed to further pursuing

28
____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
2
CV-11-0293-JCS

1

settlement discussions and are in the process of arranging the next meeting, as well as establishing a

2

schedule of meetings to ensure full discussion of all elements of the potential settlement. The parties

3

are also currently discussing the potential for a settlement that could resolve all of Plaintiffs’ claims and

4

requests for relief.

5

To allow these discussions to continue, and in the interest of judicial economy, the parties

6

respectfully request that this Court continue the status conference currently set for August 12, 2011 to

7

October 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. (or to such date and time that is convenient for the Court), and extend the

8

stay of this litigation for approximately an additional 60 days (from August 12, 2011 until October 14,

9

2011). If the Court extends the stay and resets a conference date, the parties will submit a status report

10

two weeks prior to that conference (on September 30, 2011).

11
12

Respectfully submitted this 29th day of July, 2011,

13

/s/ Justin Augustine

14

Collette L. Adkins Giese (MN Bar No. 035059X)*
Center for Biological Diversity
8640 Coral Sea Street Northeast
Minneapolis, MN 55449-5600
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

Justin Augustine (CA Bar No. 235561)
Jaclyn Lopez (CA Bar No. 258589)
Center for Biological Diversity
351 California Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
Michael W. Graf (CA Bar No. 136172)
Law Offices
227 Behrens Street
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
Attorneys for Plaintiffs

27

*Granted admission pro hac vice

28
____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
3
CV-11-0293-JCS

1
2
3

AND
IGNACIA S. MORENO,
Assistant Attorney General
SETH M. BARSKY, Section Chief
S. JAY GOVINDAN, Assistant Chief

4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

/s/ James A. Maysonett
JAMES A. MAYSONETT, Trial Attorney
ERIK E. PETERSEN, Trial Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice
Environment & Natural Resources Division
Wildlife & Marine Resources Section
Ben Franklin Station
P.O. Box 7369
Washington, DC 20044-7369
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27

Attorneys for Federal Defendants
AND
/s/ William K. Rawson
LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
William K. Rawson (D.C. Bar No. 367167)
[e-mail]
(pro hac vice )
Claudia M. O’Brien (D.C. Bar No 447354)
(pro hac vice)
claudia.o'[e-mail]
555 Eleventh Street, N.W., Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004-1304
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Patrick J. Ferguson (Ca. Bar No. 252778)
[e-mail]
505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94111-6538
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
WILEY REIN LLP
David B. Weinberg (D.C. Bar No. 186247)
[e-mail]

28
____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
4
CV-11-0293-JCS

1
2
3
4
5

(pro hac vice)
Eric Andreas (D.C. Bar No. 462777)
[e-mail]
(pro hac vice)
1776 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

6

Attorneys for Crop Life America, et al.

7

/s/ Thomas W. Stoever, Jr.
Thomas W. Stoever, Jr.
(Cal. Bar No. 150056)
ARNOLD & PORTER LLP
370 Seventeenth Street
Suite 4500
Denver, Colorado 80202-1370
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

8
9
10
11
12
13

Attorney for Intervenor-Defendant Reckitt
Benckiser LLC.

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

/s/ J. Michael Klise
J. Michael Klise (pro hac vice)
[e-mail]
Steven P. Quarles
Thomas R. Lundquist
CROWELL & MORING LLP
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-2595
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
Attorneys for Intervenors American Farm Bureau
Federation, et al.

22
23
24
25
26
27
28

/s/ Seth Goldberg
Seth Goldberg (CA Bar No. 153719)
[e-mail]
Cynthia L. Taub (D.C. Bar No. 445906)
[e-mail]
(pro hac vice)
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP
1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
TEL: [phone]
____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
5
CV-11-0293-JCS

FAX: [phone]

1

Attorneys for Defendant-Intervenor American
Chemistry Council

2
3
4
5

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED. The status conference is reset for

6

Oct. 14, 2011, at 1:30 p.m
______________________. The status report shall be due by Sept. 30, 2011.
S

R NIA

LI

ER

Spero

FO

seph C.

Judge Jo

A

H

11

RT

10

___________________________
Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero
NO

9

7/29/11
Dated: ______________

UNIT
ED

8

RT
U
O

7

S DISTRICT
TE
C
TA

N

F
D IS T IC T O
R

C

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
____________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO EXTEND STAY
6
CV-11-0293-JCS