Sciscoe v. Texas)

519 S.W.3d 171, 2015 WL 3463490, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 5530
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 1, 2015
DocketNo. 07-13-00391-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 519 S.W.3d 171 (Sciscoe v. Texas)) 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
Sciscoe v. Texas), 519 S.W.3d 171, 2015 WL 3463490, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 5530 (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

[176]*176MEMORANDUM OPINION

Patrick A. Pirtle, Justice

This is an appeal from an order granting summary judgment. At issue is the interplay between the right of individual property owners to seek redress for the diminution in value of their properties caused by light, noise, and airborne chemical particulates originating from the operation of adjacent regulated energy production facilities and the right of the government to regulate emissions from those facilities. Appellants, eighteen homeowners1 and the Town of DISH,2 filed three separate lawsuits,3 in three different courts, against six energy production companies (five of whom are Appellees),4 alleging that noise, light, odors, and chemical particulates emanating from Appellees’ facilities,5 which were independently owned and operated by Appellees, caused a nuisance and constituted a trespass, thereby entitling them to recover monetary damages. Pursuant to a motion for change of venue, the three lawsuits were transferred to Tar-rant County. Before trial, the three lawsuits were consolidated into one lawsuit in the 96th District Court bearing cause number 96-254364-11.

By its claim, Appellant, DISH, sought recovery of damages occasioned by the erosion of its tax base due to declining property values, together with recovery of “costs associated with [Appellees’] activity,” “damages” of $1,000 per day for trespass, and exemplary damages pursuant to Chapter 41 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The remaining Appellants sought recovery of damages for (1) the loss of market value of their properties, (2) annoyance and discomfort, (3) injury to personal property, (4) mental anguish, and (5) exemplary damages. None of Appellants sought injunctive relief.

After answering the allegations against them, each Appellee separately moved for [177]*177summary judgment. Four of the five Ap-pellees, Enbridge Gathering, Atmos Energy, Energy Transfer Fuel, and Texas Midstream, filed traditional motions for summary judgment raising five grounds to defeat Appellants’ claims. By their respective motions, it was asserted that Appellants’ claims against them are barred because (1) the migration of odors and chemical particulates onto Appellants’ properties cannot constitute a trespass as a matter of law, (2) the claims are preempted by Federal and State Clean Air Acts, (3) the claims are barred by the political question doctrine, (4) Appellees’ activities cannot constitute a nuisance or trespass, as a matter of law, because their emissions fall within regulatory limits, and (5) Appellees’ claims predate their lawsuit by more than two years and are, therefore, barred by limitations. Appellee, Enterprise Texas Pipeline, filed a hybrid motion for summary judgment under both traditional and no-evidence standards. As grounds for its traditional motion, Enterprise asserts Appellants’ claims fail because (1) the ciatos are pre-empted by Federal and State Clean Air Acts, (2) it is in compliance with all applicable standards, statutes, and regulations, (3) its station does not emit pollutants, noise, odor, or light that would constitute an unreasonable or substantial interference with Appellants’ rights, and (4) DISH does not have the requisite statutory authority to file this lawsuit. By its no-evidence motion, Enterprise generally asserts there is no evidence to support all the elements of Appellants’ nuisance and trespass claims. Specifically; Enterprise contends Appellants have failed to provide any evidence that fits metering station has emitted any harmful substances, noises, odors, or light that would constitute a nuisance or trespass. Enterprise further contends Appellants have no evidence to establish that their damages, if any, were caused by any condition created by Enterprise’s operations. Finally, Enterprise maintains that DISH did not have the authority to sue for damages or to abate an alleged nuisance occurring outside its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Without specifying the basis of its decision, the trial court granted Appellees’ summary judgment motions and this, appeal followed.6

Summary of Issues Presented

By six issues, Appellants contend the trial court erred in, granting summary judgment by holding their claims were (1) pre-empted by Federal and State Clean Air Acts, (2) barred by the political question doctrine, (3) not actionable as a matter of law, (4) protected by conduct within regulatory guidelines, and (5) barred by limitations. In addition, DISH contends (6) the trial court erred in holding that it does not have the constitutional or statutory authority to prosecute its claim.

By what it designates as “cross-issues,” Enterprise also contends: (1) the trial court correctly granted summary judgment in favor of Enterprise because Appellants failed to direct the trial court to any evidence supporting the challenged el[178]*178ements of their cause of action and (2) Appellants waived their appeal as to Enterprise by failing to raise a general “Ma-looly” issue,7 thereby requiring this Court to affirm the trial court’s judgment on the legal theory of unassigned error.

Keeping in mind that this appeal involves multiple claims, by nineteen plaintiffs, against five defendants, raising numerous defenses'—in an effort to avoid becoming bogged-down in the myriad of arguments presented—we will address the common defensive claims of Appellees collectively—addressing first the question of whether, as a matter of law, the migration of odors and microscopic chemical particulates cannot constitute a trespass. Next, because the arguments overlap, we will analyze together the defensive theories of pre-emption, the political question doctrine, and conduct within regulatory guidelines, before moving on to the defensive theory of limitations. We will then address Enterprise’s traditional summary judgment issues not previously addressed before moving on to its no-evidence allegations. Finally, we will address Enterprise’s “Cross-Issues.”

Summary of Ruling

To the extent that Appellants seek recovery of (1) monetary damages for prospective injuries, or (2) mental anguish (including “annoyance and discomfort”), or they seek (3) to abate an ongoing nuisance, or (4) to assess $1,000 “per day for trespass,” we affirm the trial court’s order granting summary judgment. In all other respects, we reverse the trial court’s order granting summary judgment and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings.

Background Facts

Appellants are homeowners in DISH, a residential community in Denton County, Texas. In 2004, Appellees began obtaining permits for the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline compressor stations near the outskirts of DISH. From 2005 through the summer of 2009, Appel-lees constructed and operated separate natural gas compressor stations and a metering station. For purposes of simplicity, the parties have referred to the compressor stations and the metering station collectively as the Ponder Compressor Station. The stations comprising the Ponder Compression Station are located immediately adjacent to one another and the overall facility is located approximately one-quarter to one-half of a mile from Appellants’ properties.

The Ponder Compression Station began operating in February 2005 with a single compressor station owned and operated by Enbridge.

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Related

Town of Dish v. Atmos Energy Corp.
519 S.W.3d 605 (Texas Supreme Court, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
519 S.W.3d 171, 2015 WL 3463490, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 5530, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sciscoe-v-texas-texapp-2015.