UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
MICCOSUKEE TRIBE OF INDIANS
OF
FLORIDA,
Plaintiff, CIV-DAVIS
V. Case No. 95-0533
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
et al., Magistrate Judge
Turnoff
Defendants.
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DEFENDANTS' REPLY MEMORANDUM IN
SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS
Defendants United States of America, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Carol Browner, and John Hankinson, Jr. (hereinafter collectively "EPA" or "Defendants") hereby submit this reply memorandum in support of their motion to dismiss the Complaint.
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Plaintiff Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida ("Tribe") urges the Court not to dismiss this action before the Court examines the merits of the Tribe's claims. See Plaintiff's Response in opposition to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss ("Opp. Br."). The Tribe contends that this is the kind of case in which the jurisdictional issues are so intertwined with the merits that dismissal is inappropriate at the pleadings stage. Id. at 3-5. The Tribe further argues that its claims are properly brought as a citizen suit under the Clean Water Act ("CWA" or the "Act").
Id. at 7-10.'The Tribe's procedural analysis misses the mark. Because our motion to dismiss can be decided on the allegations of the Complaint, it is a "facial" (as opposed to "factual") jurisdictional challenge. Eaton v. Dorchester Dev'p, Inc., 692 F.2d 727, 731 (11th Cir. 1982); Williamson v. Tucker, 645 F.2d 404, 412 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 897 (1981); Menchaca v. Chrysler Credit Corp)., 613 F.2d 507, 511 (5th Cir.), cert.
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1 With the exception of mandamus, the Tribe does not seriously contest the
point made in our initial brief that the only possible basis for subject matter
jurisdiction is the Act's citizen suit provision. See Initial Br. at
9-11; Opp. Br. at 2 & n.1; see also Middlesex County Sewerage Auth. v.
National Sea Clammers Ass'n, 453 U.S. 1, 11-18 (1981) (no private
right of action under the Clean Water Act independent of the Act's citizen suit
provision). While the Tribe continues to maintain that mandamus is available in
this case, we showed in our initial brief that it is not, Initial Br. at 9-10,
and we are content to rely on our earlier discussion of this issue.
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denied, 449 U.S. 953 (1980). 2 In a "facial" challenge, the plaintiff's interests are protected by having its allegations taken as true for purposes of the motion, and it therefore is unnecessary for the Court to await factual development of the record to decide the jurisdictional issue. Eaton, 692 F.2d at 731-32; Williamson, 645 F.2d at 412; Menchaca, 613 F.2d at 511. Accordingly, the jurisdictional issue can be resolved at this time.
Second, the Tribe's attempt to argue that this action is a proper CWA citizen suit must be rejected. Even assuming Plaintiff's central allegation -- i.e., that the Everglades Forever Act ("EFA") effectively constituted a change in water quality standards -- to be true for purposes of this motion, jurisdiction would still be lacking under the CWA citizen suit provision, 33 U.S.C. § 1365. See Initial Br. at 17. The jurisdictional question is a simple one -- does this case involve a statutorily mandated duty that is "not discretionary with the Administrator"? 33 U.S.C. § 1365(a)(2). Whether or not the
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2 We attached a letter from EPA to the State of Florida to our initial brief in order to provide the Court ' with an updated factual background of this dispute. However, this attachment was informational only, and the jurisdictional issue can be decided solely on the basis of the pleadings. In this regard, we note that the Tribe is incorrect in its suggestion that the Court should convert our motion into a rule 56 motion if it considers matters beyond the pleadings in deciding the jurisdictional issue. Compare Opp. Br. at 5-6 & n.2 (suggesting that such a conversion may be appropriate) with Region 8 Forest Service Timber Purchasers v. Alcock, 993 F.2d 800, 807 n.8 (11th Cir. 1993) (conversion appropriate only for.12(b)(6), not 12(b)(1), motions), cert. denied, 114 S. Ct. 683 (1994).
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Tribe's interpretation of the EFA is correct, EPA-does not have a nondiscretionary duty to take the actions sought by the Tribe.
As we discussed in our initial brief, there are only two authorities that possibly could be relevant to this case:
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3 While the Tribe contends that the EFA effectively constitutes a change in state water quality standards, Florida does not view the EFA as a water quality revision, and accordingly has not submitted the EFA to EPA for CWA S 303(c) review. Complaint 39-40.
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the-mechanism which Congress intended to address this situation.4
Instead, Congress chose to create a mechanism in the CWA which "anticipates a partnership between the States and the Federal Government," Arkansas v. Oklahoma, 503 U.S. 91, 101 (1992), but which "places the primary reliance for developing water quality standards on the states.,, Scott v. City of Hammond, 741 F.2d 992, 994 (7th Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1196 (1985). These goals are achieved by making states the initiators of the triennial review process in section 303(c)(i)-(3), with each state submission being subject to EPA review. If, as alleged in this case, this process proves inadequate to maintain "necessary" levels of protection, the remedy chosen by Congress was to provide EPA with discretionary
authority under section 303(c)(4) to propose appropriate corrections. See Scott, 741 F.2d at 994-95.5_________________________________
4 The Tribe vaguely suggests that a non-discretionary duty applicable to this case can arise from EPA's regulations at 40 C.F.R. § 131.20. Opp. Br. at 6-7. As a general matter, a nondiscretionary duty within the meaning of the Act's citizen suit provision can arise only upon a clear-cut command of the Act itself. See Sierra rliib v. Thomas, 828 F.2d 783, 791,(D.C. Cir. 1987); Mountain States Legal Found. v. Costle, 630 F.2d 754, 766 (10th Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 1050 (1981). In any event, the cited EPA regulations merely track the procedures created in section 303(c), and certainly do not create any additional specific EPA duties like those which the Tribe seeks to compel in this case.
5 While irrelevant to the present jurisdictional issue, we note as a practical matter that, contrary to the Tribe's contentions in its brief, Opp. Br. at 8, EPA has fully considered (continued...)
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The Tribe suggests that it would Se desirable from a policy perspective to allow citizens to compel EPA to take action under section 303(c)(4) whenever a party with standing thought such action warranted. Opp. Br. at 3, 8. However, such a result would usurp Agency discretion and would disrupt the federal-state balance carefully created by Congress in section 303(c). Moreover, as we pointed out in our initial brief, the restriction of citizen suits to mandatory duties reflects a conscious Congressional intent to protect the integrity of the administrative process by "limit[ing] suits against the Administrator to a chosen few." Oljato Chapter of Navajo Tribe v. Train, 515 F.2d 654, 663 (D.C. Cir. 1975). See also Initial Br. at 12. There is good reason why the CWA does not impose a mandatory duty on EPA -- which can be compelled by a citizen suit -- to initiate a full-blown federal review of every piece of state legislation that relates in some way to water quality.
As the Tribe itself stresses, this lawsuit is akin to a citizen suit seeking to compel the Agency to initiate an investigation or an enforcement action. See, e.g., Opp. Br. at 5 ("The essence of Plaintiff's claim in its Complaint is the failure by the defendants to enforce the requirements of the CWA. EPA has a non-discretionary duty under the CWA to enforce the
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requirements of the CWA...") As held in applicable precedent in this and other circuits,- however, EPA's investigatory and enforcement authority is "discretionary" and hence is not actionable under the Act's citizen suit provision. See Sierra Club v. Train, 557 F.2d 465, 488-91 (5th Cir. 1977); see also, e.g.., Dubois v. Thomas, 820 F.2d 943, 947-51 (8th Cir. 1987); see also Initial Br. at 17, n.9. As the Eighth Circuit explained, in order for EPA to most effectively enforce the Act, the Agency must have the discretion to allocate its limited investigatory resources as it finds most appropriate, and it is clear that the citizen suit provision was not intended "to enable citizens to commandeer the federal enforcement machinery." Dubois, 820 F.2d at 948-49. For similar reasons, Congress surely did not intend the citizen suit provision to be used to compel the Agency to pursue every substantive claim pertaining to state water quality standards posited by private individuals. Scott, 741 F.2d at 995.6
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6 We note that the unavailability of a citizen suit in the present circumstances does not leave the Tribe without any means to air concerns about Florida's water quality standards. For example, EPA's decisions approving or disapproving Florida's CWA S 303(c) submissions constitute "final agency action" reviewable under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551, et seq. See, e.g., NRDC. Inc. v. EPA, 770 F. Supp. 1093 (E.D. Va. 1991), 806 F. Supp. 1263 (E.D. Va. 1992), aff'd, 16 -F.3d 1395, 1406 (4th Cir. 1993) (APA challenge to EPA approval of state water quality standards considered (and denied) on the merits, while citizen suit alleging substantive deficiencies in criteria on which standards were partially based dismissed for lack of jurisdiction).
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We stress that this is not a case involving the failure of a state to submit any water quality standards (or related submissions) as was the issue in the case relied on by the Tribe, Alaska Center for the Environment v. Reilly, 762 F. Supp. 1422 (W.D. Wash. 1991), aff'd, 20 F.3d 981 (9th Cir. 1994). See Opp. Br. at 8-9. Rather, in this case Florida has existing water quality standards in effect which the Tribe appears to support. See Complaint 11 24-25. Thus, the determination by Florida and EPA that the EFA did not change these standards merely means that the existing standards -- which the Tribe favors -- are still the applicable standards in the state.7
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7 The Tribe cites a recent filing in No. 99-1-1886 as evidence that the United States has taken an "inconsistent and irreconcilable position" on the meaning of the EFA. Opp. Br. at 10. This allegation is completely meritless. As even a cursory reading of the cited brief makes clear, the government's point was only that the EFA changed "state law" and that this change in state law and any potential effect on the Everglades consent decree should be carefully analyzed. Federal Opposition to Miccosukee Tribe's Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement And Consent Decree And Cross-Motion To Set A Status Conference And Incorporated Memorandum of Law, No. 99-1-1886, at 5 (March 30, 1995) (attached to Plaintiff's Opp. Br.). This filing did not address the effect, if any, of the EFA on state water quality standards.
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CONCLUSION
For all the foregoing reasons, as well as the reasons
stated in our initial brief, the Complaint should be dismissed.Respectfully submitted,
LOIS J. SCHIFFER
Assistant Attorney GeneralKENDALL COFFEY
United States AttorneyLISA HOGAN
Assistant U.S. Attorney
FL Bar No. 834424
_____________________________
JON M LIPSHULTZ
Special S.D. Fla. Bar No.
A5500261
Environmental Defense Section
Environment & Natural
Resources
Division
U. S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 23986
Washington, D.C. 20026-3986
(202) 514 - 0461
DATED: June 22, 1995
OF COUNSEL:
CRAIG HIGGASON
Office of Regional Counsel
U.S. EPA, Region IV
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
CATHY WINER
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of DEFENDANTS' REPLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS were served upon the persons listed below by first class mail, postage prepaid this 22nd day of June, 1995.
________________________Sonia Escobio O'Donnell
Lehtinen, O'Donnell, Cortinas,
Vargas & Reiner, P.A
7700 North Kendall Drive
Suite 303
Miami, Florida 33156
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