Government Suppliers Consolidating Services, Inc. v. Bayh

753 F. Supp. 739, 31 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20584, 32 ERC (BNA) 1554, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17747, 1990 WL 237098
District Court, S.D. Indiana·Decided December 27, 1990·No. IP 90-303-C·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ENTRY OF THE DECISION AFTER TRIAL ON PLAINTIFFS’ COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY RELIEF

Table of Contents

I. Introduction. 742

II. Findings of Fact. 743

III. Conclusions of Law. 756

A. Standing and Ripeness . 756

B. Commerce Clause . 762

1. Tipping Fee Provision . 766

2. Health Officer Certification ... 772

3. Hauler Certification.774

C. Vagueness. 779

IV. Conclusion . 779

TINDER, District Judge.

I. Introduction

In 1978 the United States Supreme Court applied the dormant commerce clause to dispose of a New Jersey law banning the importation of out-of-state trash. In his *743 majority opinion Justice Potter Stewart observed as follows:

Today, cities in Pennsylvania and New York find it expedient or necessary to send their waste into New Jersey for disposal, and New Jersey claims the right to close its borders to such traffic. Tomorrow, cities in New Jersey may find it expedient or necessary to send their waste into Pennsylvania or New York for disposal, and those States might then claim the right to close their borders. The Commerce Clause will protect New Jersey in the future, just as it protects her neighbors now, from efforts by one State to isolate itself in the stream of interstate commerce from a problem shared by all.

City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey, 437 U.S. 617, 629, 98 S.Ct. 2531, 2538, 57 L.Ed.2d 475 (1978). The day foretold in City of Philadelphia has arrived.

Today cities in New Jersey and other Eastern states find it necessary, or at least expedient, to ship their waste hundreds of miles to the State of Indiana. This case involves an attempt by Indiana to regulate the influx of that out-of-state waste. In a broader sense, however, this case involves the collision of local concerns with a national problem.

The citizens of the State of Indiana are in the unenviable position of residing in a state which is an economically favorable dumping ground for the refuse of the Eastern states. Besides the deposit of undesirable materials from other states into Indiana soil, the status of being a trash “receiving” state means that the space available here for the disposal of Indiana waste is diminishing due to the inflow of non-Indiana trash.

Indiana’s problem is not unique. The reported cases reflect that out-of-state trash is the object of nationwide concern, as well as disdain. Congress itself, however, has not yet deigned to touch the subject in a comprehensive manner. Thus, as the states become fed up, or filled up, with out-of-state waste, the harmony of each state’s regulations with the dormant commerce clause is likely to be considered on a case by case basis.

This entry first relates the facts established at trial that are relevant to the issues before this court. This case was hotly contested by counsel for both parties, and the facts found here are the result of the court having carefully weighed all of the evidence and the reasonable inferences to be drawn from those facts. Second, this entry sets forth the controlling legal principles and applies those principles to the findings of fact. 1 Finally, this entry is accompanied by a judgment consistent with the determinations made herein.

II. Findings of Fact

Evan Bayh, Governor of the State of Indiana, signed House Enrolled Act 1240 (hereinafter referred to as the Act or H.E.A. 1240) into law on March 20, 1990. The Act was the product of compromise among Republicans and Democrats in the Indiana General Assembly and between the General Assembly and the Governor. The immediate derivation of the Act can be found in several bills originally introduced in the 1990 Regular Session of the Indiana House and Senate 2 as well as in various legislative initiatives advanced by the administration of Governor Bayh. 3 The history of the Act also includes efforts to enact *744 similar legislation in the previous session of the legislature. 4

The Act was codified in Title 13 of the Indiana Code, the portion of Indiana laws which deals specifically with environmental concerns. This classification is appropriate because the Act imposes certain requirements on the disposal of solid waste 5 within the State of Indiana.

The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that three provisions of H.E.A. 1240 regarding the hauling of waste into the State of Indiana are unconstitutional under the commerce clause of article I, section 8, and the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution. The challenged portions of the Act are codified as follows: Ind.Code § 13 — 7—22—2.7(c)(1) (hauler certification); Ind.Code § 13-7-22-2.7(c)(2) (health officer certification); and Ind.Code § 13-9.5-5 (tipping fee). The plaintiffs further request that this court permanently enjoin the defendant from enforcing these provisions. The Governor 6 vigorously opposes this declaratory action on several grounds which will be discussed below.

Within the State of Indiana, there are a number of sites where solid waste can be disposed of legally, which are called sanitary landfills. These landfills, which fall within the legal definition of “final disposal facilities,” 7 operate by virtue of permits issued by the state and are subject to strict regulation by various state agencies, including principally, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Ind.Code § 13-9.5-1-14. IDEM is the agency primarily charged with the enforcement of Indiana environmental laws and regulations. This agency is responsible for the issuance of permits for the establishment of both sanitary and hazardous material landfills as well as the regulation of the actual operation of such landfills.

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Government Suppliers Consolidating Services, Inc. v. Bayh, 753 F. Supp. 739, 31 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envtl. Law Inst.) 20584, 32 ERC (BNA) 1554, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17747, 1990 WL 237098 (S.D. Ind. 1990).

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