Harris County v. Allwaste Tank Cleaning, Inc.

808 S.W.2d 149, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 635, 1991 WL 33071
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 14, 1991
DocketNo. 01-90-00862-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 808 S.W.2d 149 (Harris County v. Allwaste Tank Cleaning, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harris County v. Allwaste Tank Cleaning, Inc., 808 S.W.2d 149, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 635, 1991 WL 33071 (Tex. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION

WILSON, Justice.

This is an appeal from an order denying a request for a temporary injunction. The appeal asks whether the appellee, Allwaste Tank Cleaning, Inc., can legally operate its business without a Clean Air Act permit, but rather on the authority, if any, of an agreed Air Control Board order issued following earlier proceedings.

In March 1990, the plaintiff and appellant, Harris County, sued the defendant and appellee, Allwaste Tank Cleaning, Inc. (“Allwaste”), alleging Allwaste was a polluter in violation of the Texas Clean Air Act1 and the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act.2 Harris County named the State of Texas, the Texas Air Control Board, and the Texas Water Commission as necessary and indispensable parties (collectively, “Harris County”), and sought statutory civil penalties and temporary and permanent injunc-tive relief against Allwaste. Allwaste responded with a general denial and affirmatively plead compromise and settlement, based upon the issuance in 1987 of Agreed Air Control Board Order number No. 87-04(n).

The trial court denied temporary injunc-tive relief under the Texas Clean Air Act. Harris County urges that the trial court (1) [150]*150erred in refusing to receive in evidence plaintiffs exhibit number four, and (2) abused its discretion in refusing to enjoin Allwaste’s operation of a facility without a permit from the Air Control Board.

Our resolution of point of error two is dispositive of this appeal and, accordingly, will address it first.

The parties agreed: (1) that All-waste had no permit; (2) that an application for such a permit was pending and, as noted by the trial judge, had been pending for several years; and (3) to the introduction of Air Control Board order number 87-04(n). Further, by implication, they agreed that Allwaste’s activities were properly subject to regulation by the Clean Air Act.

Under Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 382.114(a) (Vernon Pamph.1991), if a corporation is violating or threatening to violate Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 382.085 (Vernon Pamph.1991) (unauthorized emissions) or an Air Control Board rule, variance, or order, the local government may bring suit for injunctive relief or penalties. Injunctive relief includes temporary injunctions. Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 382.114(b) (Vernon Pamph. 1991). The court “shall grant ... any prohibitory or mandatory injunctions the facts may warrant....”

Our review of an order denying a temporary injunction is limited to determining whether there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial court. Davis v. Huey, 571 S.W.2d 859, 861-62 (Tex.1978); Philipp Bros., Inc. v. Oil Country Specialists, Ltd., 709 S.W.2d 262, 265 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1986, writ dism’d w.o.j.); Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. City of El Paso, 593 S.W.2d 396, 397 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1980, no writ); see also Houston Compressed Steel Corp. v. State, 456 S.W.2d 768, 773-74 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1970, no writ).

No findings of fact and conclusions of law are found in the record. No specific reasons were given by the trial judge in his order or elsewhere in the record in denying the injunction. On appeal, our attention has been directed solely to the significance of the board order, and to an item of evidence offered, at least in part, to clarify the meaning of the order. Therefore, as the legal impact of the board order in question is central to our opinion, we set it out in its entirety:

TEXAS AIR CONTROL BOARD
AGREED BOARD ORDER
INDEPENDENT TANK CLEANING SERVICES, INC.3
NO. 87-04(n)
The Texas Air Control Board (the Board) hereby resolves the matter of enforcement action regarding Independent Tank Cleaning Services, Inc. (the company) in the form of a Board Order pursuant to Sections 3.12, 3.20(b), 4.02(a)(2) and 4.041 of the Texas Clean Air Act (the Act). The staff of the Board and the company have agreed on a settlement of the matters involved in this enforcement action, subject to the approval of the Board.
In settlement of this enforcement action and solely for the purpose of this Agreed Board Order, the parties have agreed and stipulated as follows:
1. That the company owns and operates a tank truck cleaning facility located at 11110 Highway 225, La Porte, Harris County, Texas.
2. That the above facility consists of one or more sources as defined in Section 1.03(2) of the Act.
3. That the company as owner and operator of the above facility is alleged to have violated Board Rule 116.1 and Sections 3.27(a) and 4.01(b) of the Act by constructing and operating a tank truck cleaning facility which may emit air contaminants into the air of the state without first obtaining a permit or spe-[151]*151dal permit, or qualifying for a standard exemption.
4. That notice of the apparent violation of the above rule was received by the company on or about December 1, 1986.
5. That the company and the staff agree that the allegations set forth in the Board’s file regarding this enforcement action, concerning violation of Board Rule 116.1 and Sections 3.27(a) and 4.01(b) of the Act, are hereby settled and compromised. It is understood that the entry of this Agreed Board Order shall not constitute an admission by the company of any violation alleged in paragraph 3.
6. That the company submitted an application for a special permit to the Board on May 1, 1985.
7. That an administrative penalty in the amount of Nine Hundred Fifty Dollars ($950.00) should be recovered by the Board for the violation alleged in paragraph 3 and for any continuation of that specific violation until final agency action is taken on Special Permit Application No. S-9723.
8. That the company has placed in the possession of the Board the sum of Nine Hundred Fifty Dollars ($950.00) for deposit in the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury, as payment of the administrative penalty assessed.
9. That the company agrees to achieve compliance with Board Rule 116.1 by the date final agency action is taken on Special Permit Application No. S-9723. Such compliance will be achieved according to the following schedule:
a) The company shall promptly comply with all requirements necessary to allow for final agency action on Special Permit Application No. S-9723.
b) The company shall submit to the staff of the Board, within thirty (30) days of each staff request, information necessary for the evaluation of Special Permit Application No. S-9723.
c)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Houston Compressed Steel Corp. v. State
456 S.W.2d 768 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1970)
Davis v. Huey
571 S.W.2d 859 (Texas Supreme Court, 1978)
Philipp Bros., Inc. v. Oil Country Specialists, Ltd.
709 S.W.2d 262 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1986)
Chevron, U. S. A., Inc. v. City of El Paso
593 S.W.2d 396 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
808 S.W.2d 149, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 635, 1991 WL 33071, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harris-county-v-allwaste-tank-cleaning-inc-texapp-1991.