Virginia v. United States

926 F. Supp. 537, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21094
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedJune 12, 1995
DocketCivil A. No. 3:95CV21
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 926 F. Supp. 537 (Virginia v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Virginia v. United States, 926 F. Supp. 537, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21094 (E.D. Va. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

SPENCER, District Judge.

In this lawsuit, the Commonwealth of Virginia and its Governor (collectively, “Virginia”) bring constitutional challenges to certain provisions of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 7401-7671q (West 1983 and Supp.1995) (“the CAA”). This case is currently before the Court on the defendants’ motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter [539]*539jurisdiction. For the reasons set forth herein, the motion will be GRANTED.

I

This case originates in Virginia’s attempts to comply with the mandates of the CAA and various federal regulations implementing that statute. By final action effective January 4, 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), which oversees and regulates state air pollution control programs, found that Virginia has failed to create an approvable operating permit program, as mandated by Title V of the CAA and subsequent implementing regulations. 42 U.S.C.A. § 7661-7661f; 40 C.F.R. Pt. 70 (1994). The EPA rejected Virginia’s proposed program, in part, for failing to establish adequate statutory authority for citizens to challenge state air permit decisions in state court.1 Virginia has properly appealed the EPA’s decision directly to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Virginia v. Browner, 80 F.3d 869 (4th Cir.1996).

The EPA also determined that Virginia has failed to establish an approvable vehicle inspection and maintenance (“I/M”) program for the Northern Virginia area, as provided for in both section 182(c)(3) of the CAA and federal regulations. 42 U.S.C.A. § 7511a(c)(3); 40 C.F.R. §§ 51.350-51.373 (1994).2 The CAA requires Virginia to formulate an approvable I/M program as part of its State Implementation Plan (“SIP”) revision and to submit a “control strategy SIP” detailing its plans to achieve a 15% reduction in volatile organic compounds (“VOC”) in the Northern Virginia area (“the 15% Plan requirement”). Virginia faces similar obligations for the Richmond and Hampton Roads metropolitan areas. However, in letters dated January 20,1994, and February 7, 1995, the EPA found that Virginia had failed to submit a complete SIP for the I/M and 15% Plan requirements. These findings triggered the CAA’s highway project conformity requirement. Under this provision, found in section 176(c)(1) of the CAA, federal agencies are prohibited from taking any action that might violate or undermine a state’s SIP. 42 U.S.C.A. § 7506(c)(1). In particular, they are barred from approving, accepting, or funding any proposed transportation plan that fails to conform with the SIP. Id. Thus, Virginia stands to loose valuable federal highway funds and approval for proposed highway projects.

Virginia’s apparent inability to comply with the CAA may also result in the imposition of federal sanctions. First, Virginia may be penalized with mandatory sanctions, both for failing to submit an approvable Title V program and for failing to submit a complete SIP pertained to the I/M programs for Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia. Section 179(a) of the CAA provides for such penalties 18 months after the EPA makes a finding of noncompliance, unless the state corrects the deficiency within that span of time. 42 U.S.C.A. § 7509(a).3 Further[540]*540more, the EPA may impose discretionary sanctions at any time.4 These sanctions, Virginia maintains, “may result in the loss of over a billion dollars in federal highway funds and the imposition of severe industrial development penalties.” Compl. ¶ 4.5

Consequently, Virginia has filed suit for declaratory and injunctive relief, naming as defendants the United States of America, the EPA, the United States Department of Transportation, EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner, and Transportation Secretary Federico Peña (collectively, “the United States”). Virginia questions the constitutionality of four components of the CAA: (1) the Title V operating permit program requirement; (2) the I/M and VOC strategy SIP requirements; (3) the mandatory and discretionary sanction provisions; and (4) the transportation conformity requirement.

Virginia contends that Title V, the I/M and 15% Plan requirement, the transportation conformity provision, and the sanctions violate the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. U.S. Const. amend. X. Virginia urges the Court to find that Congress is unconstitutionally coercing Virginia to enact and enforce these regulatory programs in derogation of state sovereignty. Second, Virginia contends that these same provisions constitute federal attempts to control the exercise of sovereign State powers, allegedly in violation of the Guarantee Clause. Id. art. IV, § 4. Third, it maintains that the highway funding provisions violate the Spending Clause. Id. art. I, § 8, cl. 1.

This Court has previously denied motions to intervene filed by the American Lung Association of Northern Virginia, the American Lung Association of Virginia, Audubon Naturalist Society, Citizens for Sensible Power, the Environmental Defense Fund, King George Environmental Association, Mountain Heritage Alliance, Virginia Citizen Action, and five individual Virginia citizens. The United States has now filed the instant motion to dismiss. Distilled to its essence, it is the United States’ position that this lawsuit in part belongs in another court, and in part belongs in none. The United States first argues that this Court is powerless to hear Virginia’s constitutional challenges to Title V, the I/M program, the 15% plan requirements, the conformity requirements and the related mandatory sanctions provisions, contending that these claims must be raised exclusively in the Court of Appeals. Second, it contends that Virginia’s attack on the EPA’s discretionary enforcement and sanction authority is not ripe for judicial review.

II

The standard of review for a 12(b)(1) motion is a function of that pleading's purpose. Where the motion constitutes a facial attack upon the complaint's allegations of subject matter jurisdiction, the Court must presume that all factual allegations in the complaint are true, Puerto Rico ex. rel. Quiros v. Alfred L. Snapp & Sons, 632 F.2d 365 (4th Cir.1980), aff'd, 458 U.S. 592, 102 S.Ct. 3260, 73 L.Ed.2d 995 (1982), and make all reasonable inferences in the plaintiff's favor. Johnson v. Mueller, 415 F.2d 354 (4th Cir.1969); MacKethan v. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., 439 F.Supp. 1090 (E.D.Va. 1977). In this case, however, the motion challenges the actual existence of the Court's subject matter jurisdiction. In such a situation, the Court may "look beyond the jurisdictional allegations of the complaint and view whatever evidence has been submitted on the issue to determine whether in fact subject matter jurisdiction exists." Capitol [541]*541Leasing Co. v. FDIC, 999 F.2d 188, 191 (7th Cir.1993) (citations omitted); Adams v. Bain, 697 F.2d 1213, 1219 (4th Cir.1982); Ocean Breeze Festival Park, Inc. v. Reich, 853 F.Supp. 906, 911 (E.D.Va.1994). It is Virginia's burden to prove that jurisdiction in this Court is proper. McNutt v. General Motors Acceptance Corp.,

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Bluebook (online)
926 F. Supp. 537, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21094, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/virginia-v-united-states-vaed-1995.