Environmental Control Commission v. Browning-Ferris Industries

446 So. 2d 755, 1983 La. App. LEXIS 10043
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 28, 1983
DocketNo. 83 CA 0855
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 446 So. 2d 755 (Environmental Control Commission v. Browning-Ferris Industries) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Environmental Control Commission v. Browning-Ferris Industries, 446 So. 2d 755, 1983 La. App. LEXIS 10043 (La. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinions

PONDER, Judge.

This is an appeal by Browning-Ferris Industries, Chemical Services, Inc. from an order of the Louisiana Environmental Control Commission, dated May 12, 1983. Paragraph X of the order directed BFI to cease the receipt of all hazardous materials for landfill cells and to initiate the closure of those cells at its disposal facility near Willow Springs Road in Calcasieu Parish by December 31, 1983.

The Willow Springs facility was originally developed as a waste disposal facility by prior owners in the 1960’s. BFI acquired the property in 1972, and obtained a permit from the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources in 1977 to conduct commercial landfill operations.

Upon passage of the Louisiana Environmental Affairs Act in 1979, LSA-R.S. 30:1051, et seq., BFI timely submitted applications for permanent permits. In 1980, the Commission issued BFI a compliance schedule but has not yet granted the permits. Prior to the hearing of March, 1983, BFI withdrew, in February, 1983, its application for permits. As a matter of fact, BFI expressed its intent to close the facility by 1985.

In the fall of 1982, a possibility that the cells at the facility had caused contamination of soils and an aquifer lying some 50 feet beneath the surface of the soil was found. This aquifer is connected at or near the site to the main aquifer supplying some 70,000 people. Pursuant to an order of the Commission, BFI employed an independent geotechnical consultant, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, to prepare a report on the site and the extent of the contamination. Upon receipt of the report, the Commission ordered a special hearing to be held on March 14, 1983, to consider the report and related geotechnical data, and also to consider the issuance of an updated or revised compliance order in light of the new data and BFI’s declaration of its intention to discontinue its landfilling operation in 1985,1 sent to the Commission in the interim.

After several sessions, the hearings were concluded on May 12, 1983, and the Commission issued a final order styled, “Compliance Order and Schedule for Closure”.

BFI perfected its appeal pursuant to LSA-R.S. 30:1072 B, setting forth the following specification of errors:

[757]*757(1) The Commission’s Finding of Fact No. VI is manifestly erroneous to the extent that it finds or suggests that Respondent has withdrawn its pending application for hazardous waste landfill activities at Secure Cells 7 and 8 at this facility.
(2) The Commission’s Paragraph X of the Order is in violation of constitutional and/or statutory provisions in requiring that the respondent cease the receipt of all hazardous materials for landfill cells by December 31, 1983 and immediately thereafter initiate the closure of these cells.
(3) The Commission’s Paragraph X of the Order is in violation of its statutory and/or regulatory authority in requiring that the respondent cease the receipt of all hazardous materials for landfill cells by December 31, 1983 and immediately thereafter initiate the closure of these cells.
(4) The Commission’s action in Paragraph X of the Order, which effectively sets a December 31, 1983 closure date for landfill activities, is in violation of required statutory and/or regulatory procedural provisions as such actions can only be taken in appropriately noticed hearings, conducted for that purpose, and with appropriate Findings of Fact, none of which was done.
(5) The Commission’s decision, in Paragraph X of the Order, which effectively sets a December 31, 1983 closure date for landfill activities, is arbitrary and capricious as well as manifestly erroneous as there is no evidence in the record, supporting this closure date.
(6) The Commission’s action in Paragraph XI of the Order is ancillary to Paragraph X of the Order; to the extent it requires submission of a closure date for landfill activities on or about September 30, 1983 and to the extent to which it requires a permit resubmission excluding landfill activities, it is in violation of required statutory, regulatory and/or procedural provisions as well as arbitrary, capricious and manifestly erroneous.”

In summary, therefore, BFI seeks a reversal of paragraphs X and XI of the Commission’s Final Order, and a reversal of Findings of Fact No. VI.

We affirm.

BFI contends that, in effect, the Final Order of the Commission constitutes a revocation or denial of a permit, in violation of applicable statutory and regulatory procedural provisions, as such actions can only be taken in adjudicatory hearings, conducted for that purpose, after proper notice and with appropriate findings of fact; and that the Commission’s ordering cessation of landfill activities is arbitrary, capricious, manifestly erroneous, and not supported by the record as a whole.

The Commission contends its power to order the cessation of receipt of all hazardous materials at this site by December 31, 1983, is an essential part of the authority to issue a schedule of compliance or performance guidelines; does not constitute a revocation or denial of a permit, in violation of applicable statutory and regulatory provisions; and that the order is not arbitrary, capricious, manifestly erroneous, and unsupported by the record.

The Louisiana Environmental Affairs Act is incorporated into the Revised Statutes as LSA-R.S. 30:1051, et seq. The creation and authority of the Commission is set forth in R.S. 30:1062, et seq. Part VII of the Act, designated as the Hazardous Waste Control Law, is set forth in R.S. 30:1131, et seq. Pursuant to the authority granted under the Act, the Commission adopted Rules of Procedure, “to provide a procedural system governing the operation of the Environmental Control Commission and practice before the Commission in the administration and enforcement of the Louisiana Environmental Affairs Act (LSA-R.S. 30:1051, et seq.) and the Louisiana Administrative Procedures Act (LSA-R.S. 49:951-64).” In addition, the Commission [758]*758adopted the Hazardous Waste Management Plan Rules and Regulations.

Prior to the effective date of the Act and Regulations thereunder, BFI operated its facility under the authority of Chapter X of the Louisiana Sanitary Code. Under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 30:11462 BFI qualified as an existing facility and was allowed to continue operations under the prior authorization. Pursuant to the provision of Section 1146 that the operator comply with the requirements of Section 11373 of the Act, BFI timely submitted the required notices and in due course an application “for any necessary licenses, permits, schedules of compliance or performance guidelines.” On. December 30, 1980, the Commission issued a Compliance Schedule and Performance Guidelines. No hearing on BFI’s application for a permit has ever been held and consequently no decision has been made on granting or denying the permit under the new Act and Regulations.

BFI contends that as an existing facility in interim status its facility may continue its operations, and that the operations are to be governed by the Compliance Schedule issued in December of 1980 including all subsequent additions or revisions. It also [759]*759argues that Section 10714

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446 So. 2d 755, 1983 La. App. LEXIS 10043, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/environmental-control-commission-v-browning-ferris-industries-lactapp-1983.