Mont. Board of Nat. Resources v. Mo

• Court: Montana Supreme Court
• Decided: December 24, 1974
• Docket: 12889
• Status: Published

Opinion

No. 12889

I N THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE OF M N A A F OTN

M N A A BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES e t a 1 OTN ., P l a i n t i f f s and A p p e l l a n t s ,

THE M N A A P W R COMPANY, a Corpora t i o n , OTN O E

Defendants and Respondents.

Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e F i r s t J u d i c i a l District, Honorable P e t e r Meloy, J u d g e p r e s i d i n g .

Counsel of Record:

For Appellants :

Donald D. MacIntyre a r g u e d , H e l e n a , Montana

F o r Respondents:

Thomas K e l l e y a r g u e d , B i l l i n g s , Montana William C o l d i r o n a r g u e d , B u t t e , Montana John C a r l a p p e a r e d , B u t t e , Montana

Submitted: November 1 2 , 1974 > i Decided : ~ , E L 5. ,. ?- , - ' . " -I, 4 3?

Filed : rEK CIJRIAM:

O October 2 3 , 1974 p l a i n t i f f s , p u r s u a n t t o Rule 40, Elontana n R u l e s of A p p e l l a t e C i v i l P r o c e d u r e , a p p l i e d t o t h i s Court s e e k i n g

r e i n s t a t e m e n t of a n i n j u n c t i o n which had been d i s s o l v e d by t h e

d i s t r i c t c o u r t o f Lewis and C l a r k County, pending a p p e a l and f i n a l decisi~nby t h i s C o u r t . The c o n t r o v e r s y h e r e a r o s e a s f o l l o w s :

On .June 1 4 , 1974 p l a i n t i f f s i n s t i t u t e d t h i s a c t i o n , C i v i l

Cause No. 37972 i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t , by f i l i n g a c o m p l a i n t f o r d e c l a r a t o r y judgmen~ and i n j u n c t i o n a g a i n s t d e f e n d a n t . Plaintiffs sought a r u l i n g d e c l a r i n g d e f e n d a n t ' s proposed 230 L i l o v o l t trans

m i s s i o n l i n e from B i l l i n g s t o G r e a t F a l l s , Montana, (the l i n e ) , s u b j e c t t~ t h e Montana U t i l i t y S i t i n g Act o f 1973, s e c t i o n s 70-

801-70-823, R.C.M. 1947, and an o r d e r t e r m p o r a r i l y r e s t r a i n i n g d e f e n d a n t from c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e l i n e . D i s t r i c t Judge P e t e r G. yieloy i s s u e d t h e temporary r e s t r a i n i n g o r d e r and s e t a show c a u s e h e a r i n g on t h e m a t t e r . On J u l y 3 , 1974 d e f e n d a n t answered t h e c o m p l a i n t s t a t i n g t h e Tine was u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n p r i o r t o J a n u a r y 1, 1973 and t h e r e f o r e

w a s s p e c i f i c a l l y exempt from t h e Montana U t i l i t y S i t i n g Act under

s e c t i o n 70-811 o f t h a t Act. An e v i d e n t i a r y h c a r i n g was h e l d t h e same day. The p a r t i e s were g i v e n a d d i t i o n a l t i m e t o f i l e f u r t h e r b r i e f s .

On September 4 , 1974 Judge Meloy found t h a t t h e l i n e was

w i t h i n t h e e x c e p t i o n p r o v i d e d by s e c t i o n 7Q-811, R.C.M. 1947, and d ~ m c l u d e dt h a t t h e temporary r e s t r a i n i n g o r d e r s h o u l d b e d i s s o l v e d . j c c o r d i n g l y , judgment i n f a v o r o f d e f e n d a n t and a g a i n s t p l - a i n t i f f s d a s e n t e r e d on September 26, 1974. On October 4 , 1974 p l a i n t i f f s f i l e d a n o t i c e of a p p e a l and

moved t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t u n d e r Rule 7 ( a ) , Montana Rules of A p p e l l a t e C i v i l P r o c e d u r e , t o s t a y e x e c u t i o n of t h e judgment. This :[lotion was d e n i e d on October 7 , 1974, whereupon p l a i n t i f f s made d p p l i c a t i o n t o t h i s Court.

By an o r d e r d a t e d October 24, 1974, t h i s Court s e t t h e m a t t e r f o r a d v e r s a r y h e a r i n g on November 12, 1974. Hearing was had, and a f t e r examining t h e r e c o r d and consideri.ng t h e arguments of both p a r t i e s , t h i s Court f i n d s , a s d i d t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t , a t o t a l absence of f a c t s i n t h e r e c o r d t o support p l a i n t i f f s r a l l e g a t i o n s t h a t discontinuance of t h e injunction w i l l r e s u l t i n i r r e p a r a b l e injury . The r e l i e f sought i s t h e r e f o r e D E N I E D .