Com'r of Agr. v. Plaquemines Par. Com'n Coun.

439 So. 2d 348
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedMay 10, 1983
Docket82-CA-2657
StatusPublished

This text of 439 So. 2d 348 (Com'r of Agr. v. Plaquemines Par. Com'n Coun.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Com'r of Agr. v. Plaquemines Par. Com'n Coun., 439 So. 2d 348 (La. 1983).

Opinion

439 So.2d 348 (1983)

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, State of Louisiana
v.
PLAQUEMINES PARISH COMMISSION COUNCIL.

No. 82-CA-2657.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

March 18, 1983.
Dissenting Opinion May 10, 1983.

Robert S. Leake, Riddick & Leake, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant.

Louis B. Porterie, Gretna, for defendant-appellee.

C. Ellis Henican, Henican, James & Cleveland, New Orleans, for intervenors-appellees.

WATSON, Justice.

The Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Louisiana brought two suits for declaratory judgment against the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council, the governing authority of that parish, contending that Plaquemines Parish Ordinances Nos. 212 and 372 are invalid because they were not submitted to the advisory commission on pesticides for a public hearing as required by LSA-R.S. 3:1623(D). The two suits were consolidated for trial.

Intervenors in the suits are Riverside Citrus Farms, Inc. and various citizens of Plaquemines Parish, who are involved in the operation of broadleaf vegetable farms *349 and/or fruit tree orchards.[1] The intervenors oppose plaintiff's suit.

Ordinance number 212, adopted March 14, 1979, has the following title:

"An ordinance to regulate the aerial application of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other materials in the Parish of Plaquemines; to require all persons, firms and corporations engaged in such aerial application to secure a permit from the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council prior to conducting such operations; and to provide procedures for conducting the operations, and penalties for the violation thereof and to provide otherwise both generally and specifically therewith."[2]

Ordinance number 372, adopted March 31, 1982, has the following title:

"An Ordinance to prohibit the application of certain herbicides in the Parish of Plaquemines; to provide for penalties for the application or use in violation thereof; and to provide otherwise, both generally and specifically, with respect thereto."[3]

LSA-R.S. 3:1623(D)[4] provides that:

"(D) The commissioner shall have the authority to declare a pesticide a pesticide with restricted uses if he determines that the pesticide when applied in accordance with its directions for use, warnings, and cautions will present a hazard under specific conditions. A political subdivision of the state in order to enact more restrictive regulations than contained in this subpart may do so after public hearing duly held before the advisory commission and with the approval of the commissioner."

*350 The trial court held the above section of the statute unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of powers in Art. 2, § 2, Louisiana Constitution of 1974, as follows:

"Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, no one of these branches, [the legislative, executive and judicial] nor any person holding office in one of them, shall exercise power belonging to either of the others."

The Commissioner of Agriculture has appealed from the declaration of unconstitutionality.

The federal scheme allows state pesticide regulation which is more but not less restrictive than the federal standards. See 7 U.S.C.A., § 136v.(a).[5] Similarly, the state allows more restrictive local pesticide regulation under LSA-R.S. 3:1623(D), supra. The state has not preempted the field of regulation. Compare Rollins Environmental Serv. v. Iberville Parish, 371 So.2d 1127 (La., 1979). As pointed out in the concurring opinion of Justice Tate in Rollins, supra, a home rule local governing authority such as the Parish of Plaquemines can exercise all powers not denied by statute or the constitution.

The commissioner of agriculture is part of the executive branch of government. LSA-Const. Art. IV, § 1(A).[6] The legislature may delegate certain powers to such administrative department heads. However, the legislature cannot lodge "unfettered discretion" with an administrative officer. Schwegmann Brothers Giant Super Mkts. v. McCrory, 112 So.2d 606 at 614 (La., 1959). In doing so, the legislature unconstitutionally surrenders the legislative power itself. State v. Rodriquez, 379 So.2d 1084 (La., 1980). "... [W]here a statute vests arbitrary discretion in a board or an official without prescribing standards of guidance there is an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority to the executive branch of the government." Rodriquez, supra, 379 So.2d 1084 at 1086. The commissioner of agriculture can administer laws only if there are adequate standards for execution of the legislative policy.

Here, the statute has no standards to guide the advisory commission on pesticides or the commissioner in determining whether to approve or disapprove more restrictive regulations by local political subdivisions. Absent any standards, the requirement is void as an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the executive branch of government.

For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the trial court herein is affirmed.

AFFIRMED.

CALOGERO and DENNIS, JJ., dissent and assign reasons.

APPENDIX

The text of Ordinance 212 is as follows:

"BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PLAQUEMINES PARISH COMMISSION COUNCIL THAT:

SECTION I

"A permit from the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council, bearing the signature of its President or Secretary, shall be required for the aerial application of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other similar materials within the Parish of Plaquemines. The permit shall be obtained by the aerial applicator prior to any such operations.

SECTION II

"Application for a permit for such aerial application shall be filed with the Council *351 Secretary on forms provided by the Parish Council. The application shall be accompanied by copies of a vicinity map showing the exact area or areas in which the aerial application is to be conducted. Where the right of way aerial applications apply, a system or line map(s) outlining the right of way to be sprayed shall be submitted. Such area shall be shown, where possible, by reference to established landmarks. All permits shall be conditioned upon the aerial applicator obtaining, in advance of commencing work, the necessary permits from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, other applicable state agencies, and all appropriate federal agencies.

SECTION III

"A permit shall be required for each application or approved series of applications. After the expiration of a permit, aerial application may continue or be resumed under a new permit issued on application made as provided in Section II.

SECTION IV

"No single permit will be issued for an area greater than 2,000 acres and no aerial applicator shall work outside the area or areas described in its permit or permits.

SECTION V

"Each aerial applicator working under a permit issued pursuant to this Ordinance shall always be accompanied by a parish agent. When an aerial applicator employs more than one component or unit, and the units are at such a distance apart that it is impossible for the parish agent to observe the work of each unit or component, an agent shall be assigned to each component or unit of the crew.

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Related

State v. Broom
439 So. 2d 357 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
State v. Rodriguez
379 So. 2d 1084 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1980)
Schwegmann Brothers Giant Super Mkts. v. McCrory
112 So. 2d 606 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1959)
Rollins Environmental Serv. v. Iberville Parish
371 So. 2d 1127 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)

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