Gray v. Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality

174 So. 3d 956, 2015 Miss. App. LEXIS 478, 2015 WL 5554778
Court of Appeals of Mississippi·Decided September 22, 2015·No. No. 2014-SA-00052-COA·Published

Opinion

MAXWELL, J.,

for the Court: .

¶ 1. Under Mississippi’s Air and Water Pollution Control Law, “it is unlawful for any person to cause pollution of any waters of the state or to place or cause to be placed any wastes in a location where they are likely to cause pollution of any waters of the state” unless that person has a permit. Miss.Code Ann. § 49-17-29(2) (Rev.2012). And because dirt work produces sediment — a pollutant that could potentially run off in state waters — state environmental regulation requires a permit to disturb more than five acres of land through activities like clearing, grading, and excavating.1

¶ 2. Morris Gray disturbed seven acres near the Pearl River through extensive dirt work without first obtaining the required permit. And he persisted in these activities, even after being- warned that doing so would further violate the law. In all, the Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality (Commission) found Gray violated section 49-17-29(2) on five separate occasions and fined Gray $12,500 per violation.

¶ 3. On appeal, the Commission’s decision is presumptively valid unless rebutted by Gray. And here Gray has failed to articulate — let alone prove — why the Commission’s decision should be overturned. The record shows the Commission supported its decision with' substantial evidence — namely, testimony from engineers who observed the violations, along with supporting documents. Further, the penalty the Commission imposed was well within the statutory maximum of $25,000 [958] per violation.2 We affirm.

Background Facts and Procedural History

I. Failure to Obtain State Permit

¶4. Gray owns thirteen acres on the east bank of the Pearl River in Rankin County. The land is underneath the flyover bridge at Interstate 55 and Highway 80. On September 23, 2008, an engineer with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) saw construction activities taking place on Gray’s property. On closer inspection, the inspector noticed seven acres of Gray’s property were undergoing heavy dirt work. But when the engineer checked the MDEQ database, he found no work permits had been issued for this site.

¶ 5. Three weeks later, the MDEQ sent Gray a notice-of-violation letter. This letter informed Gray it was unlawful to dispose of wastes that may be discharged into state waters without a storm-water permit. See Miss.Code Ann. § 49-17-29(2). Sediment is one such waste. So when a project like Gray’s involves clearing, grading, or excavating activities on more than five acres, a permit ensures the amount of sediment leaving the construction site is minimized through a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). See Miss. Admin. Code 11-6:1.1.1(B)(3) (incorporating by reference 40 C.F.R. § 122.26). The MDEQ told Gray he needed such a plan. He also needed to place controls on his property immediately to keep sediment from leaving his site.

II. Failure to Obtain Federal Permit

¶ 6. Two weeks later, Gray submitted an application for a storm-water permit, along with a proposed SWPPP, drafted by Gray’s engineering consultant. Gray claims the MDEQ intentionally delayed his application. But the MDEQ insists any delay was due to the federally protected wetlands on Gray’s property. The MDEQ told Gray he had to involve the United States Army Corps of Engineers to see if a wetlands permit was needed. And only after the Corps made its determination would the MDEQ continue with Gray’s state application. Until then, the MDEQ warned Gray that any unpermitted land-disturbing construction activities would violate the law.

¶7. Ultimately, the Corps determined Gray violated the federal Clean Water Act by filling in two-and-a-half acres of wetlands without first obtaining a federal permit. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consequently stepped in and imposed a restoration order.

III. Continued Violations of State Law

¶ 8. An MDEQ inspector revisited the site in November 2008. And he noticed the land had recently been disturbed. So MDEQ sent another notice-of-violation letter. This time, the letter also included an invitation to an administrative conference to discuss Gray’s violations and a potential resolution. While Gray attended the conference and considered MDEQ’s settlement offer, ultimately the matter was left unresolved.

¶ 9. MDEQ inspectors visited Gray’s site three more times in February, March, and April 2009. During each visit, the inspector noticed new disturbances and dump trucks entering and leaving Gray’s property.

IV. Commission Hearing

¶ 10. The MDEQ notified Gray the Commission would hold a hearing on Gray’s multiple violations. This hearing [959] took place on November 18, 2010. Gray represented himself at the hearing and called his engineering consultant as a witness. The MDEQ called the three engineers who had inspected Gray’s property. It also submitted photographs and other evidence documenting Gray’s violations.

¶ 11. The Commission determined Gray had violated the law by constructing on his property without a permit and by continuing to dump fill material on his property even after the MDEQ warned him that to do so would violate the law. Each violation carried a potential penalty of up to $25,000. Miss.Code Ann. § 49-17-43(1) (Rev.2012). After considering the relevant penalty factors, the Commission assessed Gray $12,500 for each of the five days MDEQ observed a violation. See Miss. Code Ann. § 49-17-43(7).

¶ 12. Gray appealed the Commission’s decision to the Rankin County Chancery Court, which affirmed. Gray then appealed to this court.3

Discussion

¶ 13. In reviewing an agency’s decision, our role is limited. We may overturn the Commission’s decision only if it (1) was not supported by substantial evidence, (2) was arbitrary and capricious, (3) was beyond the Commission’s power to make, or (4) violated Gray’s statutory or constitutional rights. Hinds Cty. v. Miss. Comm’n on Envtl. Quality, 61 So.3d 877, 881 (¶ 10) (Miss.2011) (citation omitted). “There is a rebuttable presumption in favor of the [Commission’s] actions[.]” Id. And Gray, as “the challenging party[,] has the burden of proof to rebut the presumption.” Id.

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Gray v. Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality, 174 So. 3d 956, 2015 Miss. App. LEXIS 478, 2015 WL 5554778 (Mich. Ct. App. 2015).

174 So. 3d 956 (Gray v. Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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