Cities Service Co. v. Department of Energy

715 F.2d 572, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 25823
CourtTemporary Emergency Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 14, 1983
DocketNo. 3-33
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 715 F.2d 572 (Cities Service Co. v. Department of Energy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cities Service Co. v. Department of Energy, 715 F.2d 572, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 25823 (tecoa 1983).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Cities Service Co. (“Cities”) appeals from a decision of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (Staple-ton, J.), entered January 4, 1983, denying Cities’ application to intervene in an action brought by Pennzoil Co. against the Department of Energy (“DOE”), and from an order of the same court, entered January 19, 1983, approving an “Agreed Final Judgment” which settles DOE’s counterclaim against Pennzoil in that action. We affirm the district court’s decision to deny Cities’ application to intervene and dismiss Cities’ appeal from the order approving the Agreed Final Judgment.

In an earlier opinion, which describes the background of the case, we affirmed the district court’s decision to grant summary judgment to DOE on Pennzoil’s claim against it. Pennzoil Co. v. DOE, 680 F.2d 156 (Temp.Em.App.1982), cert, denied,U.S. -, 103 S.Ct. 841, 74 L.Ed.2d 1032 (1983). That claim challenged the validity of a 1975 ruling of the Federal Energy Administration as applied to crude oil production at the Walker Creek Field operated by Pennzoil in Arkansas. DOE’s counterclaim, which the district court had not yet addressed at the time of our earlier opinion, was brought under section 209 of the Economic Stabilization Act (“ESA”), 12 U.S.C. § 1904 note, and alleged violations by Pennzoil of price controls governing the sale of crude oil. In settlement of the counterclaim, the Agreed Final Judgment requires Pennzoil to pay $14,750,000 to the United States Treasury.

In its decision of January 4, 1983, the district court found that Cities had no “interest” within the meaning of Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(a)(2)1 in the litigation between Pennzoil and the DOE, pointing out that Cities could sue Pennzoil for damages in a separate proceeding under section 210 of the ESA. Accordingly, the court denied Cities’ application to intervene. Cities contends that, contrary to the district court’s finding, it has an interest in the funds to be paid to the Treasury by Pennzoil, and that its interest would be impaired if it were not permitted to intervene. We disagree.

Section 209 of the ESA, the basis of DOE’s counterclaim, authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enjoin practices which violate the regulations promulgated by DOE under the ESA. It further provides that: “In addition to such injunctive relief, the court may also order restitution of moneys received in violation of any such ... regulation.” Section 210 authorizes treble damage suits by “any person suffering legal wrong” as a result of practices which violate the regulations.

While sections 209 and 210 have a common purpose — the enforcement of DOE’s regulations — they vindicate different rights. “Actions by the United States under ESA § 209 are taken to enforce public, not private, rights.” Citronelle-Mobile Gathering, Inc. v. Edwards, 669 F.2d 717, 722 (Temp.Em.App.), cert, denied,-U.S. [574]*574—, 103 S.CL 172, 74 L.Ed.2d 141 (1982). By contrast, the action authorized by section 210 “is intended to be brought by private persons against other private persons.” S.Rep. No. 92-507, 92d Cong., 1st Sess., reprinted in 1971 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad. News 2283, 2291. We have previously warned against “[t]he commingling of private and agency enforcement devices for which Congress has made separate provision .... ” Dyke v. Gulf Oil Corp., 601 F.2d 557, 567 (Temp.Em.App.1979); see also Bulzan v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 620 F.2d 278, 281-83 (Temp.Em.App.1980) (emphasizing “the independence of the administrative and private remedies provided by the ESA”). The outcome of the instant case, an agency enforcement action brought by DOE, will in no way affect Cities’ private right to sue Pennzoil directly for damages. See U.S. Oil Co. v. DOE, 510 F.Supp. 910, 913 (E.D.Wis.1981). Under these circumstances, the district court correctly concluded that Cities has no interest that would be impaired by disposition of this action.

Since Cities was properly denied leave to intervene, there is no need for us to address its contention that the district court erred in approving the Agreed Final Judgment. In keeping with the general rule that “[o]ne who is not a party to a record and judgment is not entitled to appeal therefrom,” Ex Parte Leaf Tobacco Board of Trade, 222 U.S. 578, 581, 32 S.Ct. 833, 56 L.Ed. 323 (1911) (per curiam), it has been held that, “one properly denied the status of intervenor cannot appeal on the merits of the case.” Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Rizzo, 530 F.2d 501, 508 (3d Cir.), cert, denied, 426 U.S. 921, 96 S.Ct. 2628, 49 L.Ed.2d 375 (1976).

For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the district court denying Cities’ application to intervene is affirmed and Cities’ appeal from the order approving the Agreed Final Judgment is dismissed.

[575]*575DECISIONS WITHOUT OPINIONS 575 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Fifth Circuit DECISIONS WITHOUT PUBLISHED OPINIONS The following cases have been decided without formal opinion prepared for publication in the permanent law reports: 8/24/83 AFFIRMED Docket Date of Title Number Decision Disposition * Younger Transp. v. Bourg .. 83-3004 8/22/83 AFFIRMED * † Benham & Co. v. Rodriguez..............83-2188 8/22/83 AFFIRMED * † de Benavides v. I.N.S.......83-4235 8/22/83 AFFIRMED * † U. S. v. Merida ...........83-1444 8/22/83 AFFIRMED * U. S. v. Follis.............83-1474 8/22/83 VACATED * U. S. v. Dunn.............83-1475 8/22/83 VACATED * Chavis v. Heckler .........82-4582 8/23/83 AFFIRMED *Gulf Coast Invst. Corp. v. McClanahan............83-4060 8/23/83 AFFIRMED * Brecheen v. U. S...........83-4200 8/23/83 AFFIRMED * Shinn v. Thompson........82-3384 8/24/83 AFFIRMED * Explorer Drilling Co. v. Martin Explor. Co.......83-3067 * Bagley, Walcott & Assoc, v. Caroma................83-4147 8/24/83 REVERSED U. S. v. Smalley...........83-1393 8/25/83 AFFIRMED Shorty v. Shell Oil Co. .....82-3095 8/25/83 AFFIRMED * Tacos Mi Anita’s v. United Pacific Ins. Co...........82-4511 8/26/83 AFFIRMED * Sorrels v. J. Ray McDermott & Co...................82-4509 8/26/83 AFFIRMED * Owens v. Nalco Chemical Co.....................83-2024 8/26/83 AFFIRMED * Mercantile Nat’l Bank v. ABC Computers.........83-1032 8/26/83 AFFIRMED PTA Marketing v. Haile .... 82-1023 8/29/83 AFFIRMED * French v. Black & Decker Mfg....................82 — 4579 8/29/83 AFFIRMED * Gentsch v. Estelle.........83-2034 8/29/83 REMANDED * U. S. v. Marbury & Doherty 83^4117 8/29/83 REMANDED * Perry v. New World Management ...............83-1321 8/29/83 REVERSED Shuler v. Delta Elec. Power Assoc..................82 — 4104 8/31/83 AFFIRMED U. S. v.

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715 F.2d 572, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 25823, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cities-service-co-v-department-of-energy-tecoa-1983.