Barber v. Hawai'i

42 F.3d 1185, 1994 WL 666066
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedNovember 30, 1994
DocketNos. 93-15678, 93-15856
StatusPublished
Cited by76 cases

This text of 42 F.3d 1185 (Barber v. Hawai'i) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barber v. Hawai'i, 42 F.3d 1185, 1994 WL 666066 (9th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

FARRIS, Circuit Judge:

This action concerns the right of the State of Hawaii to enact legislation and adopt rules regulating anchorage and mooring privileges within its ocean waters and navigable streams. The Hawaiian Navigable Waters Preservation Society and Randal T. Barber allege that such legislation and regulations improperly abridge their rights under the U.S. Constitution, Treaties, Federal law, admiralty law, and common law. The district court granted summary judgment for the United States and the State of Hawaii. 823 F.Supp. 766. We affirm.

BACKGROUND.

The Hawaiian Navigable Waters Preservation Society is a non-profit corporation that claims to protect the rights of persons navigating the ocean waters surrounding Hawaii. Randal T. Barber is the owner of a large barge at free anchor off the shores of Oahu. He uses the barge to warehouse and store marine equipment that he buys and sells. Barber contends that Hawaii has been economically invaded by the Japanese, with the help of Hawaiian state authorities. The focus of his action is the Ke’ehi Lagoon, a recreational area used by fishermen, swimmers, canoe racers, and recreational boaters on the island of Oahu.

In 1988, the State of Hawaii adopted legislation providing the Hawaii Department of Transportation with the authority to regulate anchoring and mooring within the ocean waters and navigable streams of the state. 1988 Haw.Sess.Laws 379. In 1991, the jurisdictional authority for recreational boating was transferred to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. 1991 Haw.Sess. Laws 272. The codification of those provisions is found at Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 200 (Supp.1992).1

In 1991, the Department of Transportation, pursuant to its authority under the Hawaii Administrative Procedures Act, Haw. Rev.Stat. § 91-1 to -18 (1985), adopted rules regulating anchoring and mooring in state waters. Hawaii Administrative Rules §§ 19-61 regulates small boat harbors. With re[1189]*1189gard to the Ke’ehi Lagoon, the relevant administrative regulations provide:

No person shall anchor or moor a vessel or houseboat within Ke’ehi Lagoon except at a location and in accordance with a mooring permit issued by the department under the provisions of section 19-62-2 [requiring vessel owners to obtain permission from the State to use state property and harbor facilities] and section 19-62-17 [requiring vessel owners to moor at assigned locations].

Section 19-66-31(c), Hawaii Administrative Rules.

On February 1, 1991, the Department of Transportation was issued a federal permit for the installation of approximately 360 moorings at Ke’ehi Lagoon. The Department of Transportation and the United States Coast Guard are parties to a cooperative agreement that concerns the public waters of the state. According to Hawaii, the purpose of these regulations restricting anchoring and mooring privileges in and around the Ke’ehi Lagoon is to 1) ensure boater safety, and 2) to ensure safe use of the Lagoon by other persons using it for recreational purposes.

The Preservation Society commenced this action challenging the constitutionality of all Hawaii regulations and legislation affecting the rights of mariners to anchor and navigate in the ocean waters surrounding the islands of Hawaii. On March 5, 1993, the district court consolidated the Preservation Society’s case with that of Barber and granted summary judgment in favor of the State of Hawaii and the federal government. On April 1, 1993, the district court denied the Preservation Society’s and Barber’s motions for amendment of judgment, or relief from judgment, or reconsideration of the order entered.

THE HAWAIIAN NAVIGATIONAL WATERS PRESERVATION SOCIETY’S APPEAL

We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Jones v. Union Pac. R.R. Co., 968 F.2d 937, 940 (9th Cir.1992).

I. PREEMPTION

Federal preemption exists when government statutes or regulations include language explicitly preempting State action in a given area. In addition, the federal government can implicitly preempt state action. Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Dep’t of Revenue, 477 U.S. 1, 6, 106 S.Ct. 2369, 2372, 91 L.Ed.2d 1 (1986). We will find implicit preemption where the intent of Congress is clearly manifested, or implicit from a pervasive scheme of federal regulation that leaves no room for state and local supplementation, or implicit from the fact that the federal law touches a field (e.g. foreign affairs) in which “the federal interest is so dominant that the federal system will be assumed to preclude enforcement of state laws on the same subject.” Wisconsin Pub. Intervenor v. Mortier, 501 U.S. 597, 604-05, 111 S.Ct. 2476, 2481, 115 L.Ed.2d 532 (1991) (internal quotations omitted).

Finally, we will find a State law to be preempted when an actual conflict exists between State and Federal law. Beveridge v. Lewis, 939 F.2d 859, 862 (9th Cir.1991). In determining whether an actual conflict exists, we are “guided by the [Supreme] Court’s reluctance to entertain hypothetical conflicts because ‘[i]n this as in other areas of coincident federal and state regulation, the teaching of [the Supreme] Court’s decisions ... enjoin[s] seeking out conflicts between state and federal regulation where none clearly exists.’ ” Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Hammond, 726 F.2d 483, 499 (9th Cir.1984), cert. denied sub nom., Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Sheffield, 471 U.S. 1140, 105 S.Ct. 2686, 86 L.Ed.2d 703 (1985) (quoting Seagram & Sons v. Hostetter, 384 U.S. 35, 45, 86 S.Ct. 1254, 1261, 16 L.Ed.2d 336 (1966)) (internal quotation and citations omitted). We will consider future conflicts as they arise. Beveridge, 939 F.2d at 863.

The Preservation Society does not argue that Congress has explicitly preempted action by the State of Hawaii affecting mooring and anchoring privileges off its coast. It argues 1) that Hawaii’s regulations are in actual conflict with federal legislation and regulation, and 2) that even if no single statute is in actual conflict with Hawaii’s regula[1190]*1190tions, federal regulation in the field of navigation is so extensive that it manifests an implicit intent on the part of Congress to preempt Hawaii’s actions. Neither argument is persuasive.

A. Actual Conflict

According to the Preservation Society, the Submerged Lands Act preempts state regulation of mooring and anchoring because mooring and anchoring affect navigation, and, under the Submerged Lands Act, navigation is the exclusive domain of the federal government. In addition, the Preservation Society argues 1) that Hawaii’s regulations are in conflict with 33 C.F.R. § 110.128d(c), which establishes a federal anchorage area in Ke’ehi Lagoon, and 2) that the Hawaiian regulations are in conflict with 33 U.S.C. § 2030

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