Hood Canal Sand & Gravel, LLC v. Brady

129 F. Supp. 3d 1118, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117340, 2015 WL 5156613
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedSeptember 1, 2015
DocketCase No. C14-5620 BHS
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 129 F. Supp. 3d 1118 (Hood Canal Sand & Gravel, LLC v. Brady) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hood Canal Sand & Gravel, LLC v. Brady, 129 F. Supp. 3d 1118, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117340, 2015 WL 5156613 (W.D. Wash. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

BENJAMIN H. SETTLE, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on Defendants Michael Brady, Ray Mabus, the Department of Navy, and the United States of America’s ‘ (“Federal Defendants”) motion to dismiss (Dkt. 38). The Court has considered the pleadings filed in support of and in opposition to the motion and the remainder of the file and hereby grants the motion for the reasons stated herein. ’ " ’

I. PROCEDURAL AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On July 7, 2014, the United States Navy acquired an easement from the State of Washington. Dkt. 34 (“Comp.”) ¶ 1. The easement encompasses portions of state-owned aquatic lands located on the bed of the Hood Canal (“bedlands”). Id. Plaintiff Hood Canal Sand and Gravel, LLC (“Hood Canal”) owns property adjacent to the bedlands. Id. ¶ 2. Although the easement does not physically encroach on Hood Canal’s property, the easement blocks Hood Canal’s ability to construct a pier for shipping sand and gravel products. Id. ¶¶ 14, 70. Federal Defendants did not prepare an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment before acquiring the easement. Id. ¶ 53.

On August 4, 2014, Hood Canal filed suit against Federal Defendants, as well as Defendants Peter Goldmark, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and State of Washington (“State Defendants”). Dkt. 1. On August 27, 2014,. State Defendants moved to dismiss on Eleventh Amendment immunity grounds. Dkt, 10. On October'22, 2014, the Court -dismissed all claims against State Defendants and [1122]*1122directed Hood Canal to amend its complaint. Dkt. 20.

On November 6, 2014, Hood Canal filed a second amended complaint against Federal Defendants. Dkt. 23. On February 12, 2015, Federal Defendants moved to dismiss. Dkt. 29. On April 13, .2015, the Court dismissed some of Hood Canal’s claims with prejudice and granted Hood Canal leave to amend the remaining claims. Dkt. 33.

On April 24, 2015, Hood Canal filed its third amended complaint. See Comp. Hood Canal asserts three claims: (1) Federal Defendants exceeded their authority under 10 U.S.C. § 2663(c) when they purchased the easement and therefore acted arbitrarily and capriciously under the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”), 5 U.S.C. § 701; (2) Federal Defendants violated Hood Canal’s right to equal protection; and (3) Federal Defendants violated the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), 42 U.S.C. § 4332, by not preparing an environmental impact statement before purchasing the easement. Id, ¶¶. 73-98.

On May 22, 2015, Federal Defendants moved to dismiss. Dkt. 38. On June 22, 2015, Hood Canal responded. Dkt. 40. On June 26, 2015, Federal Defendants replied. Dkt. 41.

II. DISCUSSION

Federal Defendants seek to dismiss. Hood Canal’s claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim. Dkt. 29.

A. Rule 12(b)(1)

Rule 12(b)(1) provides for dismissal of claims based on lack of subject matter jurisdiction. “Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction.” Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377, 114 S.Ct. 1673, 128 L.Ed.2d 391 (1994). “A federal court is presumed to lack jurisdiction in a particular case unless the contrary affirmatively appears.” A-Z Int’l v. Phillips, 323 F.3d 1141, 1145 (9th Cir.2003). Courts lack subject matter jurisdiction over actions in which the plaintiff lacks standing. See Bernhardt v. County of Los Angeles, 279 F.3d 862, 868 (9th Cir.2002). The plaintiff bears the burden of establishing jurisdiction. Sopcak v. N. Mountain Helicopter Serv., 52 F.3d 817, 818 (9th Cir.1995).

B. Rule 12(b)(6)

Motions to dismiss brought under Rule 12(b)(6) may be based on either the lack of a cognizable legal theory or the absence of sufficient facts alleged under such a theory. Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir.1990). Material allegations are taken as admitted and the complaint is construed in the plaintiffs favor. Keniston v. Roberts, 717 F.2d 1295, 1301 (9th Cir.1983). To survive a motion to dismiss, the complaint does not require detailed factual allegations but must provide the grounds for entitlement to relief and not merely a “formulaic recitation” of the elements of a cause of action. Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1965, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). Plaintiffs must allege “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. at 1974.

Generally, the scope of review on a motion to dismiss is limited to the contents of the complaint. Lee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 688 (9th Cir.2001). The Court, however, may consider documents that are not attached to the complaint “if the documents’ authenticity ... is not contested and the plaintiffs complaint necessarily relies on them.” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). Hood Canal references the easement numerous times throughout its amended complaint. See generally Comp. Because the easement’s authenticity is not disputed and [1123]*1123Hood Canal’s amended complaint necessarily relies on it, the Court will consider the easement in connection with this motion. ■ *

C. 10 U.S.C. § 2663 Claim

Hood Canal alleges that Federal Defendants exceeded their authority under 10 U.S.C. § 2663(c) when they acquired the easement. Comp. ¶¶ 73-79. Because § 2663(c) .does not create a private cause of action, Hood Canal brings , suit under the APA, which provides a cause of action for persons “adversely affected or aggrieved by agency action within the meaning of a relevant statute.” 5 U.S.C. § 702. Federal Defendants argue that Hood Canal lacks prudential standing to bring this claim because Hood Canal has not alleged an interest within the zone of interests protected by § 2663(c). Dkt. 38 at 6-9'.

“[I]n addition to constitutional standing requirements, under the APA a plaintiff must assert an interest ‘arguably within the zone of interests to be protected or regulated by the statute or constitutional guarantee in question.’ ” Nevada Land Action Ass’n v. U.S. Forest Serv., 8 F.3d 713, 715-16 (9th Cir.1993) (quoting Assoc. of Data Processing Serv. Org., Inc. v. Camp, 397 U.S. 150, 153, 90 S.Ct. 827, 25 L.Ed.2d 184 (1970)).

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129 F. Supp. 3d 1118, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117340, 2015 WL 5156613, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hood-canal-sand-gravel-llc-v-brady-wawd-2015.