Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass'n of United States, Inc. v. Jorling

152 Misc. 2d 405
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 3, 1991
StatusPublished

This text of 152 Misc. 2d 405 (Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass'n of United States, Inc. v. Jorling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass'n of United States, Inc. v. Jorling, 152 Misc. 2d 405 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

George L. Cobb, J.

Petitioners-plaintiffs (hereinafter petitioners) have commenced a hybrid CPLR article 78 proceeding and action for declaratory judgment seeking a judgment annulling the newly promulgated 6 NYCRR part 218, which in effect, requires that as of 1993 all new motor vehicles sold in the State of New York must comply with stricter California emissions standards. The new regulations are challenged on the grounds that respondents-defendants (hereinafter respondents) had no statutory authority to promulgate such regulations and that they violated the procedures of the State Administrative [407]*407Procedure Act and of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (ECL art 8) in promulgating the regulations. A fourth cause of action has been discontinued by stipulation.

Petitioners argue that under the holding in Boreali v Axelrod (71 NY2d 1), adoption of the California emissions requirements by the Department of Environmental Conservation constitutes a social policy question of great import and substantial expense which must be addressed by the Legislature rather than an administrative agency. The Court of Appeals in Boreali v Axelrod (supra) held that the presence of four different considerations, none of which standing alone would have been sufficient to defeat administrative action, combined to render the Public Health Council’s smoking regulations invalid for want of authority.

The first ground upon which the Court of Appeals relied was the fact that the Public Health Council had been granted authority to "deal with any matters affecting the * * * public health” (Public Health Law § 225 [5] [a]). However, the challenged regulations consisted predominantly of exceptions to the no smoking rule based upon economic and social concerns. The court found an absence of authority to make decisions based upon "cost-benefit” considerations and found no legislative guidelines for such balancing. In contrast, the Environmental Conservation Law has explicitly set forth guidelines for such balancing and requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to make such cost-benefit considerations. ECL 1-0101 (3) declares it to be the State policy "to foster, promote, create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can thrive in harmony with each other, and achieve social, economic and technological progress for present and future generations”. The Department and the Commissioner are granted the power and duty to carry out such environmental policy (ECL 3-0301 [1]). In addition, ECL 19-0103 states that it is the declared policy of the State to require balancing of the public health and welfare, industrial development, propagation and protection of flora and fauna, and the protection of personal property and other resources. Respondents’ program concerning air pollution control is required to be consistent with such policy (ECL 19-0105).

The second consideration involved in Boreali v Axelrod (supra) is that the regulations did not fill in details of broad legislation describing over-all policies to be implemented. As already indicated, the Environmental Conservation Law clearly describes the over-all policies to be implemented and [408]*408specifically authorizes the Department of Environmental Conservation to fill in the details with respect to regulation of motor vehicle exhaust emissions. ECL 3-0301 (2) (n) provides that the Department and Commissioner are authorized to "study, monitor, control and regulate pollution from motor vehicle exhaust emissions”. ECL 19-0301 (1) (b) authorizes the Department and Commissioner to promulgate regulations which include "the extent to which air contaminants may be emitted to the air by any air contamination source”. An air contamination source is defined in ECL 19-0107 (5) to include motor vehicles. Moreover, the Department and Commissioner are specifically authorized to promulgate standards for in-use emissions (ECL 19-0301 [1] [c]; 19-0305 [2] [k]). The ability to set standards for in-use emissions obviously includes the authority to set standards for new automobiles held for sale in the State of New York which will become in-use emissions sources immediately upon sale.

The Court of Appeals in Boreali v Axelrod (supra) also found legislative inaction on a grand scale entailing years of debate and numerous failed bills. The Court of Appeals, however, cautioned that such consideration ordinarily was insufficient to determine legislative intent. In the instant case, there was but one bill which was not passed by the Legislature. Such bill’s procedural history is thus of little moment in determining whether respondents were authorized to promulgate the instant regulations.

Finally, the Court of Appeals found that no special health expertise was necessary to promulgate the challenged no smoking regulations. In contrast, with respect to air pollution, "[t]he technical nature of the subject * * * makes delegation to the Department to set detailed standards by regulation particularly apt” (Weinberg, Practice Commentary, McKinney’s Cons Law of NY, Book 1710, ECL 19-0301, at 150).

It is therefore determined that respondent Commissioner was expressly authorized to promulgate extensive regulations limiting exhaust emissions from motor vehicles including adoption of California certification standards.

Petitioners also contend that respondents violated subdivision (4-a) of section 202 of the State Administrative Procedure Act by failing to publish a notice of revised rule making or take other required steps based upon alleged substantial revisions in the text of the rule as proposed when compared with the rule as adopted. The great majority of the changes [409]*409asserted by petitioners were, in fact, requested by petitioners and actually lessen restrictions on sales and the burdens of complying with the administrative requirements. These revisions include 6 NYCRR 218-4.6 (b); 218-4.8, 218-4.5 (b); 218-7.5 (not adopted), 218-7.8 and 218-7.9. As such, petitioners are not in any way harmed by the changes. To the extent that the effective date provided by 6 NYCRR 218-1.1 was changed, rather than merely clarified, the time for compliance was extended. As such, petitioners were not harmed by any change. Petitioners are also not involved in casual sales of automobiles or importation of automobiles by individuals changing residence. As such, they are not harmed by the changes to 6 NYCRR 218-2.1 (b) (2) or 218-3.1 (c). Petitioners, therefore, have no standing to challenge such changes (Matter of Dairy lea Coop. v Walkley, 38 NY2d 6).

Subdivision (9) of section 102 of the State Administrative Procedure Act defines a substantial revision as any addition, deletion or other change in the text which materially alters its purpose, meaning or effect. The purpose of the requirement for notice of revised rule making is obviously to provide the public with notice so that they may comment upon proposed changes. It is not to increase administrative expense or delay administrative action by requiring administrative agencies to start anew each time minor changes in regulations are made as a result of the outcome of public hearings and comments. The Federal courts have phrased the test as whether the final rule is a "logical outgrowth” of the proposed rule, or if the notice provided would " 'fairly apprise interested persons of the "subjects and issues” ’ ” (Small Refiner Lead Phase-Down Task Force v United States Envtl. Protection Agency, 705 F2d 506, 547).

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Bluebook (online)
152 Misc. 2d 405, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/motor-vehicle-manufacturers-assn-of-united-states-inc-v-jorling-nysupct-1991.