Puget Soundkeeper Alliance et al v. McCarthy et al
Filing
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ORDER Requesting Additional Briefing. The Court hereby ORDERS the parties to submit additional briefing addressing the questions set forth above no later than Friday, 8/2/2019. If the parties fail to respond, the Court shall stay the case. Signed by U.S. District Judge John C Coughenour. (TH)
THE HONORABLE JOHN C. COUGHENOUR
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE
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PUGET SOUNDKEEPER ALLIANCE,
SIERRA CLUB, and IDAHO
CONSERVATION LEAGUE,
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CASE NO. C15-1342-JCC
ORDER REQUESTING
ADDITIONAL BRIEFING
Plaintiffs,
v.
ANDREW WHEELER, 1 in his official capacity
as Acting Administrator of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, and R.D.
JAMES,2 in his official capacity as Secretary of
the Army for Civil Works,
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Defendants.
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This matter comes before the Court sua sponte. Having reviewed the summary judgment
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briefing of Plaintiffs (Dkt. Nos. 67, 83), Intervenors (Dkt. Nos. 72, 86), and Defendants (Dkt.
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Nos. 79, 87), the Court hereby ORDERS the parties to submit additional briefing addressing
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several issues, including why the Court should not stay this case.
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Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(d)(1), Andrew Wheeler, Acting
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is substituted for Scott Pruitt, who
was substituted as a defendant for Gina McCarthy.
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Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(d)(1), R.D. James, Secretary of the
Army for Civil Works, is substituted as a defendant for Jo-Ellen Darcy.
ORDER REQUESTING ADDITIONAL BRIEFING
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I.
BACKGROUND
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A. The Clean Water Act
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The Clean Water Act of 1972 (the “CWA”), 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251–388, prohibits the
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discharge of pollutants into “navigable waters” absent compliance with the CWA’s permitting
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requirements and other pollution prevention programs. 33 U.S.C. § 1311(a). Such programs
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include the § 404 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; the § 404 permitting
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program for discharges of dredged or fill material; and the § 311 oil spill prevention and
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response programs. See 33 U.S.C. §§ 1321, 1342, 1344.
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“Navigable waters” is defined as “the waters of the United States, including the territorial
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seas” (“WOTUS”). See 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251, 1321, 1342, 1344, 1362(7). Waste treatment systems
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were excluded from the definition of WOTUS, and following a notice-and-comment period, a
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1980 rulemaking clarified the application of this exclusion as “only to manmade bodies of water
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which neither were originally created in waters of the United States (such as a disposal area in
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wetlands) nor resulted from the impoundment of waters of the United States.” Consolidated
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CWA Permit Regulations, 45 Fed. Reg. 33,290, 33,424 (May 19, 1980) (to be codified at 40
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C.F.R pt. 122). This provision was intended to prevent polluters from using the waste treatment
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exclusion as a means of impounding WOTUS for waste disposal purposes. (Dkt. No. 33 at 9.)
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However, two months later, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) suspended
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the limiting language (the “suspension”) without notice-and-comment in response to industry
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concerns, stating that “EPA intends promptly to develop a revised definition and to publish it as
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a proposed rule for public comment. At the conclusion of that rulemaking, EPA will amend the
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rule, or terminate the suspension.” Consolidated Permit Regulations, 45 Fed. Reg. 48,620,
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48,620 (July 21, 1980) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R pt. 122).
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In 1983, the EPA continued the suspension. CWA Environmental Permit Regulations, 48
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Fed. Reg. 14,146, 14,157 n.1 (Apr. 1, 1983) (40 C.F.R. § 122.2). In 1984, the EPA issued a
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proposed waste treatment system exclusion, which was finalized in 1988 following a notice-andORDER REQUESTING ADDITIONAL BRIEFING
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comment period. CWA § 404 Program Definitions and Permit Exemptions, 53 Fed. Reg. 20764,
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20764 (June 6, 1988) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 232). In 1986, the Army Corps of Engineers
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(the “Corps”) published an updated WOTUS definition that maintained the suspension. Final
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Rule for Regulatory Programs of the Corps, 51 Fed. Reg. 41206, 41,250 (Nov. 13, 1986) (33
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C.F.R. § 328.3).
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B. 2015 Final Rule
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In 2014, Defendants proposed a revised WOTUS definition with “no change to the
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exclusion for waste treatment systems . . . .” Definition of WOTUS under the CWA, 79 Fed.
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Reg. 22,188, 22,189 (Apr. 21, 2014) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 122). Defendants specified
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that they “[did] not seek comment on [the suspension]” because they did not intend to change it.
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Id. at 22,190. Plaintiffs submitted comments on the revisions. (See Dkt. Nos. 67-1, 67-2.)
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Defendants did not consider comments regarding the suspension because those comments were
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“outside the scope of the proposed rule.” CWA: Definition of WOTUS, 80 Fed. Reg. 37,054,
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37,097 (June 29, 2015) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 122). On June 29, 2015, Defendants
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promulgated the “Clean Water Rule: Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” (the “2015
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Final Rule”), which included, among other revisions, a renewal of the suspension. See id. at
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37,114. The 2015 Final Rule also defines three categories of waters: (1) waters that are
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“jurisdictional-by-rule,” which are categorically included in the definition of WOTUS and are
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thus protected under the CWA; (2) waters that are protected for having a “significant nexus” to
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jurisdictional waters; and (3) waters that are categorically excluded from the definition of
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WOTUS, including those within the waste treatment system exclusion. 80 Fed. Reg. at 37,058–
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59.
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C. Procedural History
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On August 20, 2015, Plaintiffs sued Defendants, alleging that Defendants violated the
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terms of the CWA when they enacted the 2015 Final Rule. (Dkt. No. 1 at 16–17.) Plaintiffs also
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allege that the 2015 Final Rule is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure
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Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. §§ 701–06, and that Defendants’ failure to address the suspension
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constitutes an unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed agency action in violation of the
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APA. (Id. at 18–19.) Plaintiffs allege that they and their members “are harmed by provisions in
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the [2015] Final Rule that deprive certain waters of the protections afforded under CWA
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programs, increasing the potential for pollution and other adverse harm to waters that Plaintiffs
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and their members use and enjoy and work to protect.” (Id. at 3.)
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On May 1, 2018, Plaintiffs amended their complaint, adding a challenge to a second final
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rule, 82 Fed. Reg. 55,542 (Nov. 22, 2017) (the “Applicability Date Rule”), promulgated by the
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EPA and the Corps. (Dkt. No. 33 at 19–21, 24–25.) Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants lacked
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statutory authority to promulgate the Applicability Date Rule, and that the Applicability Date
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Rule was arbitrary and capricious under the APA. (Id. at 24–25.) Intervenors, a number of
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industry groups, were granted leave to intervene. (See Dkt. Nos. 41, 50.) On November 26, 2018,
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after Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment, the Court ultimately vacated the Applicability
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Date Rule nationwide. (See Dkt. No. 61.)
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D. Pending Summary Judgment Motions
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On April 4, 2019, Plaintiffs filed a second motion for summary judgment, asserting that
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the waste treatment system exclusion and continued suspension of its limiting language in the
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2015 Final Rule is illegal because it contravenes statutory authority and congressional intent, it is
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arbitrary and capricious, and was carried out without the APA’s mandatory notice-and-comment
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period. (Dkt. No. 67 at 10–17.) Plaintiffs seek a declaratory ruling and permanent injunction
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halting the enforcement of the waste treatment system exclusion until Defendants complete a
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legal rulemaking. (Id. at 18.)
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Intervenors filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, alleging that Plaintiffs lack
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standing, their claims are time-barred, their claims will soon be moot, and their claims lack
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merit. (Dkt. No. 72 at 2.) Defendants filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, alleging that
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Plaintiffs have not shown standing and that their claims are time-barred and meritless. (See Dkt.
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No. 79 at 7–8.)
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E. Mootness Question
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Intervenors claim that Plaintiffs’ claims will soon become moot because the EPA and the
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Corps proposed a rule to repeal the 2015 Final Rule (“proposed repeal rule”), which is expected
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to be finalized in August 2019. (Dkt. No. 72 at 4, 12); see Definition of WOTUS—
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Recodification of Preexisting Rule, 83 Fed. Reg. 32227 (July 12, 2018) (to be codified at 40
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C.F.R. pt. 122). The EPA and the Corps held a public comment period for the proposed repeal
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rule. (Dkt. No. 72 at 4, 12.) The proposed repeal rule would restore regulations “to their pre-2015
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form, complete with the original waste treatment system provision that has neither changed nor
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been challenged for 40 years and is not the subject of this suit.” (Id.) Additionally, Intervenors
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argue that Plaintiffs’ claims will be “doubly moot” because the agencies have proposed a rule to
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revise the WOTUS definition, invited comments on the proposed rule, and are expected to
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finalize the rule in December 2019. (Id. at 4, 12, 19.) Plaintiffs commented on the proposed
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WOTUS revision. (See id. at 12, 19; see also Dkt. No. 73-12.) Neither Plaintiffs nor Defendants
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addressed the issue of mootness in their summary judgment briefing. (See generally Dkt. Nos.
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67, 79, 83, 87.)
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II.
DISCUSSION
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The Court hereby ORDERS the parties to submit additional briefing to address the
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following questions. First, the parties must explain the proposed repeal rule and define the
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resulting pre-2015 rule. Second, the parties must explain the impact of the recodification of the
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pre-2015 rule on the statute of limitations regarding Plaintiffs’ waste treatment system exemption
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claims. Third, the parties must explain the impacts of: (1) the proposed repeal rule; and (2) the
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proposed WOTUS definition revision on (a) the lawsuit as a whole, and (b) Plaintiffs’ pending
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summary judgment motion and requests for (i) declaratory relief and (ii) injunctive relief. Fourth,
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the parties must explain why the Court should not stay this case pending the anticipated
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finalization of the proposed repeal rule in August 2019.
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III.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court hereby ORDERS the parties to submit additional
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briefing addressing the questions set forth above no later than Friday, August 2, 2019. Each
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party’s briefing shall not exceed eight (8) pages. If the parties fail to respond, the Court shall stay
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the case.
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DATED this 24th day of July 2019.
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A
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John C. Coughenour
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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