Dressman v. Costle

759 F.2d 548, 22 ERC 1707
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided April 17, 1985·No. No. 80-3721·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

BAILEY BROWN, Senior Circuit Judge.

This petition arises under the Clean Air Act, as amended (“Act” or “CAA”), 42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq. On September 22, 1980, the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), in a final action, disapproved portions of Kentucky’s State Implementation Plan (“SIP”). As discussed below, this plan was adopted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in an effort to comply with nationally required air quality standards. A concomitant effect of the disapproval of Kentucky’s SIP was the imposition by the Administrator of sanctions banning the construction of new or the modification of existing major air pollution sources in areas in which the national air quality standards were not being attained.

The petitioners, the Judge-Executives of three Kentucky counties where the national air quality standards were not being met in September of 1980, request this court to set aside the EPA’s September 22, 1980, final action and remand this case to the Administrator with directions that the instant and all other decisions relating to the counties’ compliance with national air quality standards be re-examined and re-determined in an adjudicatory proceeding. Although the petition for review addresses a single final action of the Administrator, namely his September 22,1980, disapproval of Kentucky’s SIP and imposition of sanctions, the petitioners have attempted to have us review other final actions as to which no petition has been filed and also to supplement the record to demonstrate that subsequent nonfinal actions of the EPA have been arbitrary, capricious or not according to law.

For the reasons discussed infra, we find that the only matter properly before this [551]*551court is the validity of the Administrator’s September 22, 1980, final action. We further find that in promulgating this final action, the EPA Administrator neither overstepped the bounds of his authority nor made decisions that were “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.” 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A). Accordingly, we determine that the EPA did not err in issuing its final action.

I.

A.

The CAA, a comprehensive statutory scheme designed to control air pollution, was first enacted in 1955, and there have been frequent amendments to the Act, most notably in 1970 and 1977. A combined state and federal program to control air pollution was formulated in the 1970 amendments to the Act. As part of the 1970 amendments, Congress charged the EPA with promulgating national ambient air quality standards (“NAAQS”) for a variety of air pollutants. CAA § 109, 42 U.S.C. § 7409. These standards are subdivided into two major groups: primary ambient air quality standards and secondary ambient air quality standards. Id. The primary standards “are requisite to protect the public health,” CAA § 109(b)(1), 42 U.S.C. § 7409(b)(1), while the secondary standards are “requisite to protect the public welfare from any known or anticipated adverse effects associated with the presence of such air pollutant in the ambient air,” CAA § 109(b)(2), 42 U.S.C. § 7409(b)(2). The standards relevant to the case before us are those governing photochemical oxidants — a pollutant commonly known as ozone. These standards are codified at 40 C.F.R. § 50.9 (1984).

Each state has the “primary responsibility” for ensuring that its air meets NAAQS. CAA § 107(a), 42 U.S.C. § 7407(a). In order to fulfill its responsibility, each state must submit to the EPA Administrator a state implementation plan (“SIP”) that provides for the attainment of NAAQS within its borders. CAA § 110(a)(1), 42 U.S.C. § 7410(a)(1). The Administrator must approve a SIP if it meets the criteria set forth in CAA § 110(a)(2)(A)-(H), 42 U.S.C. § 7410(a)(2)(A)-(H).

The states were to achieve NAAQS by 1975, but many states, including Kentucky, failed to meet NAAQS by the statutory deadline. As a result of this widespread nonattainment, Congress amended the CAA in 1977 by adding Part D to Title I of the Act. CAA §§ 171-178, 42 U.S.C. §§ 7501-08. Part D applies only to areas in which NAAQS have not been attained (“nonattainment areas”). Under Part D, the states with nonattainment areas were to adopt SIPs that would accomplish attainment of primary NAAQS not later than December 31, 1982. These revisions were to be submitted to the Administrator by January 1, 1979, and were to be approved or disapproved by July 1, 1979. Any state that did not have an approved SIP that provided for primary NAAQS attainment not later than 1982 was subject to a moratorium on the construction of new “major stationary sources”1 of pollution and on the “major modification”2 of existing major sources in nonattainment areas. CAA § 110(a)(2)(I), 42 U.S.C. § 7410(a)(2)(I).3 In order to ensure the timely submission of Part D SIP revisions, Congress also imposed funding restrictions on nonattain[552]*552ment areas. CAA § 176(a), 42 U.S.C. § 7506(a); CAA § 316(b), 42 U.S.C. § 7616(b). When funding restrictions are invoked, the EPA and the Department of Transportation may not approve any projects or award any grants that would increase pollution, with certain exceptions not relevant here, in nonattainment areas in which the Administrator finds that the state failed to submit or to make reasonable efforts to submit a plan that “considers” each of the Part D requirements. CAA § 176(a); 42 U.S.C. § 7506(a). Under CAA § 316(b), 42 U.S.C. § 7616(b), the EPA also has the discretion under the foregoing circumstances to limit funds for the construction of sewage treatment facilities. These sanctions continue in effect until an approved plan is developed by the state or the EPA.

B.

On March 3, 1978, the EPA designated Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties, part of the greater Cincinnati area, as nonattainment areas with respect to the ozone NAAQS. 43 Fed.Reg. 8962 (1978).4

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Dressman v. Costle
759 F.2d 548 (Sixth Circuit, 1985)