Citizens Environmental Council v. Volpe

364 F. Supp. 286, 4 ERC 1970
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJanuary 3, 1973
DocketCiv. A. T-5057
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 364 F. Supp. 286 (Citizens Environmental Council v. Volpe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citizens Environmental Council v. Volpe, 364 F. Supp. 286, 4 ERC 1970 (D. Kan. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

TEMPLAR, District Judge.

This action was instituted allegedly as a class action by Complaint filed November 23, 1971, in which plaintiffs seek a preliminary and permanent injunction restraining the construction of a relocation of approximately 2.7 miles of U.S. Route 69 in the cities of Overland Park and Lenexa in Johnson County, Kansas. This portion of the relocation is referred to by the parties as the “North leg” of the Switzer By-Pass. Also, mandamus is sought to compel an officer of the United States to perform his duty. 28 U.S.C. § 1361. The highway would be constructed on right-of-way acquired for that purpose more than eight years ago.

Neither party has requested the Court to determine whether this action should be maintained as a class action under Rule 23(c)(1). Perhaps such determination is not necessary, and though the Court entertains some doubts about the standing of some of the plaintiffs to maintain the action, other individual plaintiffs do appear to have sufficient interest for themselves and for those similarly situated, and having the right to make claims typical of those of whom it is alleged are representative of a class, the Court will, on its own initiative, determine that the action may proceed on a class basis. Johnson v. City of Baton Rouge, 5 Cir., 50 F.R.D. 295.

The Court further declares and finds that the representation of the class in this case is adequate to determine the issues involved and that further notice is not necessary to protect the interests of any other person who might be affected by the rulings or judgment in this ease. Nor is such notice required. Northern Natural Gas v. Grounds, 292 F.Supp. 619 (Kan.D.C.).

Plaintiffs apparently base their claims generally on the following grounds:

1. No detailed environmental impact statement required by 42 U.S.C. § 4332(2) (C) has been prepared or submitted.

2. The provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1857h-7 requiring review and comment by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency have not been complied with.

3. The federal defendants have not provided for hearings required by 23 U. S.C. § 128, and Policy and Procedure Memo 20-8 (23 C.F.R. App. A).

4. No ruling has been made on whether or not the project conforms to the needs of the locality as required by 23 U.S.C. § 109.

5. The construction and use of the proposed highway will violate plaintiffs’ rights under the Fifth Amendment, and the Ninth Amendment.

6. The use of the land now acquired for highway right-of-way violates 49 U. *289 S.C. § 1653(f) and 23 U.S.C. § 138, and the rules promulgated thereunder, because the right-of-way is used for a public park and recreational area.

A reading of the First Amended Complaint leaves the impression that the matter of plaintiffs’ greatest concern is the last mentioned claim. It appears to be the most serious since it has received the greatest attention in the pleadings.

Jurisdiction exists under 28 U.S.C. § 1331(a), 28 U.S.C. § 1361, and 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706.

Defendant John Volpe, Secretary of Transportation, is the public official charged with implementing the Federal-Aid Highway Program. The other federal defendants are: William D. Ruckelshaus, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Robert Morrissey, Federal Highway Administration (F.H.W.A.) Division Engineer. The state, defendants are: John D. Montgomery, Director of Highways for the State Highway Commission of Kansas; and Robert P. Hagen, Bob Kent, Henry Sehwaller, Karl A. Bruek, Gale Moss, and Louis Kampschroeder, members of the State Highway Commission of Kansas.

Plaintiffs seek to halt the construction of a Federal-Aid primary highway within the Kansas City metropolitan area. The relief sought consists of an order temporarily and permanently enjoining the defendants from: 1) letting bids for the construction of the northern portion of the Switzer By-Pass, 2) continuing to approve or finance the northern portion of the Switzer By-Pass, and 3) releasing funds for the project.

Additionally, plaintiffs pray that defendant Ruckelshaus be ordered to make an independent investigation as to whether the Environmental Impact Statement required by 42 U.S.C. § 4332(2) (C) complies with the N.E.P.A.

Leave to intervene and to oppose the claims of plaintiffs was granted to the City of Overland Park and the City of Lenexa.

Plaintiffs were permitted to file an amended complaint on March 24, 1972, in which state officers were made parties defendant. Answers were filed by defendant state officers April 13, 1972, by defendant federal officers February 23, 1972, and by intervenor City of Overland Park May 12, 1972. This answer of Overland Park was adopted by the City of Lenexa.

The Court has heard arguments and has received evidence on October 25, 1972 and on November 29, 1972.

The state defendants have filed a motion for a protective order (Doc. 47), in which they assert that on October 12, 1972, the Kansas State Highway Commission (K.S.H.C.) was served with 107 pages of interrogations from plaintiffs and that this was done more than four months after the case was at issue in violation of Local Rule 14. 1 The objection of these defendants is well taken and the motion will be sustained.. Plaintiffs have tendered no excuse for permitting this case to languish for months without any activity on their part, after the issues were made up when defendants’ answer was filed April 13, 1972. Defendant state officials need not answer the 107 pages of interrogatories submitted.

Motions for summary judgment have been filed by the defendant state officers, by defendant federal officers, by intervenor City of Overland Park. Briefs have been submitted by all parties and by the Sierra Club and Johnson County Community Junior College, with the Court’s permission as amicus curiae.

Plaintiffs, on November 29, 1972, requested leave to file within five days a proposed amendment to its first amended complaint. The proposed amendment has been presented. It seeks to add another cause of action to the amended complaint by alleging that defendants have failed to comply with the *290

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364 F. Supp. 286, 4 ERC 1970, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-environmental-council-v-volpe-ksd-1973.