Massachusetts v EPA: Escaping the common law's growing shadow

Supreme Court Review

Volumn , Issue , 2007, Pages 111-160

  Percival, Robert V ^a,b  

^a Department of Law ^*

^b UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF LAW   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 47049108077     PISSN: 00819557     EISSN: None     Source Type: Book Series    
DOI: 10.1086/655171     Document Type: Review

References (179)

1. 127 S Ct 1438 (2007).
2. Jonathan Z. Cannon, The Significance of Massachusetts v. EPA, Va L Rev In Brief 53 (May 21, 2007), online at http://www.virginialawreview.org/ inbrief/2007/05/21/cannon.pdf.
3. See Robert V. Percival, The Clean Water Act and the Demise of the Federal Common Law of Interstate Nuisance, 55 Ala L Rev 717, 717 n 4 (2004).
4. City of Milwaukee v Illinois, 451 US 304 (1981).
5. Industrial Union Department, AFL-CIO v American Petroleum Institute, 448 US 607 (1980) ("Benzene").
6. American Textile Manufacturers Institute v Donovan, 452 US 490 (1981).
7. Chevron, USA v Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 US 837 (1984).
8. In Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v Natural Resources Defense Council, 43 5 US 519 (1978), the Court directed lower courts not to impose additional procedural requirements on agencies that go beyond requirements contained in the underlying regulatory statute.
9. Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass'n v State Farm Mutual Auto. Insur. Co., 463 US 29 (1983).
10. 405 US 727 (1972).
11. Id at 734.
12. 412 US 669 (1973).
13. Id at 687.
14. Id at 688.
15. Tennessee Valley Authority v Hill, 437 US 153 (1978).
16. United States v Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc., 474 US 121 (1985).
17. Id at 134.
18. Antonin Scalia, The Doctrine of Standing as an Essential Element of the Separation of Powers, 17 Suffolk U L Rev 881 (1983).
19. Lujan v Defenders of Wildlife, 504 US 555 (1992).
20. Lucas v South Carolina Coastal Council, 505 US 1003 (1992).
21. Id at 1035 (Kennedy concurring).
22. This requirement was first established in Nollan v California Coastal Commission, 483 US 825 (1987).
23. Dolan v City of Tigard, 512 US 374 (1994).
24. 521 US 507 (1997).
25. 514 US 549 (1995).
26. 529 US 598 (2000).
27. 515 US 687 (1995).
28. Id at 708-09.
29. Friends of the Earth v Laidlaw Environmental Services, 528 US 167 (2000).
30. Whitman v American Trucking Associations, 531 US 457 (2001).
31. Solid Waste Agency of N. Cook County v U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 US 159 (2001).
32. Id at 172.
33. Id at 174.
34. Borden Ranch Partnership v U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 261 F3d 810 (9th Cir 2001), aff'd by an equally divided Court, 537 US 99 (2002).
35. Rapanos v United States, 126 S Ct 2208 (2006).
36. Id.
37. Id at 2220-21.
38. Id at 2226 (emphasis in original).
39. Id at 2252 (Stevens dissenting).
40. Id at 2236 (Kennedy concurring in the judgment).
41. Id at 2248.
42. Id at 2242.
43. Id (citation omitted).
44. Id at 2244.
45. Id at 2246.
46. Id.
47. Id at 2248.
48. Id at 2249.
49. Id.
50. Id at 2236 (Roberts concurring).
51. Id.
52. Id.
53. For a more detailed discussion contrasting the precautionary and reactive approaches to environmental regulation embraced by different members of the judiciary, see Robert V. Percival, Environmental Law in the Twenty-First Century, 25 Va Envir L J 1, 9-18 (2007).
54. Rapanos, 126 S Ct at 2232, 2224 (Scalia plurality opinion).
55. Id at 2246 (Kennedy concurring in the judgment).
56. Id at 2259 n 8 (Stevens dissenting).
57. Lucas v South Carolina Coastal Commission, 505 US 1003, 1035 (1992) (Kennedy concurring in the judgment).
58. 504 US 555, 579 (1992) (Kennedy concurring in part and concurring in the judgment).
59. 126 S Ct 2208, 2248 (2006).
60. Noga Morag-Levine, Common Law, Civil Law, and the Administrative State: Early-Modern England to the Lochner Era, Const Comm (forthcoming), online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1031229.
61. Id (manuscript at 4).
62. Id.
63. Id.
64. An illustration of this is the prosecution in April 1838 of James Muspratt for maintaining an alkali works in Liverpool. The case was tried before a special jury of twelve merchants who, following a three-day trial, found the defendant guilty of creating and maintaining a nuisance within the borough. A copy of the original trial transcript is available in the rare book collection of the Harvard Law School Library.
65. 68 Fed Reg 52922 (Sept 8, 2003).
66. Massachusetts v EPA, 415 F3d 50 (DC Cir 2005).
67. 42 USC § 7607(b)(1) (2000).
68. 127 S Ct at 1446.
69. Id at 1454,
70. quoting Georgia v Tennessee Copper Co., 206 US 230, 237 (1907).
71. Transcript of Oral Argument, Massachusetts v EPA, No 05-1120, *15 (argued Nov 29, 2006),
72. online at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/oral_arguments/ argument_transcripts/05-1120.pdf.
73. 504 US at 579 (Kennedy concurring in part and concurring in judgment).
74. Id at 580.
75. Td at 580.
76. 497 US 871 (1990).
77. This is described in more detail in Robert V. Percival, Environmental Law in the Supreme Court: Highlights from the Blackmun Papers, 35 Envir L Rptr 10637, 10658-59 (2005).
78. Letter from Justice David H. Souter to Justice Antoniu Scalia (May 8, 1992), Harry A. Blackmun Papers, Manuscript Division, U.S. Library of Congress.
79. Percival, Highlights from the Blackmun Papers at 10659 (cited in note 75).
80. Id.
81. 528 US 167 (2000).
82. Id at 181.
83. Id at 181-89.
84. 206 US 230 (1907).
85. Madison v Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Co., 83 SW 658, 659 (Tenn 1904).
86. 180 US 208 (1901).
87. Id at 241.
88. Georgia v Tennessee Copper Co., 206 US at 237.
89. Id.
90. Id.
91. 127 S Ct at 1454-55.
92. Stark v Wickard, 321 US 288, 310 (1944).
93. 127 S Ct at 1455.
94. Lujan v Defenders of Wildlife, 504 US 555, 593 (1992) (Blackmun dissenting).
95. Sierra Club v Morton, 405 US 727, 740 (1972).
96. 127 S Ct at 1456.
97. Id at 1456-57.
98. Id at 1457.
99. Id.
100. Id.
101. Id at 1458.
102. Id.
103. Id at 1463 (Roberts dissenting).
104. Ethyl Corp. v EPA, 541 F2d 1 (DC Cir 1976) (en banc).
105. Ethyl Corp. v EPA, 5 Envir L Rptr 20096, 20097 (DC Cir, Jan 28, 1975).
106. 541 F2d 1, 95 (Wilkey dissenting).
107. Id at 28 (Wright majority opinion) (footnote omitted). In a footnote to his majority opinion in Massachusetts v EPA Justice Stevens quotes from the Ethyl majority's statement that the Clean Air Act and "common sense . . . demand regulatory action to prevent harm, even if the regulator is less than certain that harm is otherwise inevitable." 127 S Ct 1438, 1447 n 7.
108. 541 F2d at 104 (Wilkey dissenting).
109. Id at 30 (Wright majority opinion).
110. 541 F2d 1, 31 (Wright majority opinion).
111. 127 S Ct at 1470 (Roberts dissenting).
112. Id at 1457 (Stevens majority opinion).
113. Friends of the Earth v Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc., 528 US 167, 181 (2000).
114. 127 S Ct at 1471 (Roberts dissenting).
115. 42 USC § 7521(a)(1) (2000).
116. 529 US 120 (2000).
117. Id at 125.
118. Id.
119. 42 USC § 7602(g) (2000).
120. 42 USC § 7521(a)(1) (2000).
121. 42 USC § 7602(h) (2000).
122. 127 S Ct at 1460 (Stevens majority).
123. Id at 1462.
124. Id.
125. Id.
126. Id at 1476 (Scalia dissenting) (alteration in original).
127. Id at 1477.
128. 127 S Ct 2518 (2007).
129. 127 S Ct at 1462.
130. Id.
131. Id.
132. Id.
133. Id at 1463.
134. Id.
135. Brief for Amicus Curiae Madeleine K. Albright in Support of Petitioners, Massachusetts v EPA, No 05-1120 (filed Aug 31, 2006) (available on Westlaw at 2006 WL 2570988).
136. 127 S Ct at 1463.
137. Id.
138. Id.
139. Id at 1472 (Scalia dissenting).
140. Id at 1473 (emphasis in original).
141. Id at 1474.
142. Id at 1459 (Stevens majority opinion).
143. 5 USC § 702 (2000);
144. USC § 551(13) (2000).
145. 127 S Ct at 1451 n 16.
146. Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass'n v State Farm Mutual Auto. Insur. Co., 463 US 29 (1983).
147. New York v EPA, 852 F2d 574, 581 (DC Cir 1988) (R. Ginsburg, concurring).
148. Ronald A. Cass, Massachusetts v. EPA: The Inconvenient Truth About Precedent, Va L Rev In Brief 75 (May 21, 2007), online at http://www.virginialawreview.org/inbrief/2007/05/21/cass.pdf.
149. See, e.g., Justin R. Pidot, Georgetown Environmental Law & Policy Institute, Global Warming in the Courts: An Overview of Current Litigation and Common Legal Issues (George-town Univ, 2006), online at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/gelpi/current_research/documents/GWL_Report.pdf.
150. Green Mountain Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep v Crombie, 508 F Supp 2d 295, 320 (D Vt 2007),
151. quoting Massachusetts v EPA, 127 S Ct at 1457.
152. City of Milwaukee v Illinois, 451 US 304 (1981).
153. 406 F Supp 2d 265 (SDNY 2005), on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
154. But see Shi-Ling Hsu, A Realistic Evaluation of Climate Change Litigation Through the Lens of a Hypothetical Lawsuit, 78 U Colo L Rev (forthcoming 2008) (available online at http://works.bepress.com/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article =1005&context = shi_ling_hsu), for a discussion of the formidable obstacles to such lawsuits being successful.
155. California v General Motors Corp., 2007 WL 2726871 (ND Cal 2007).
156. Comer v Murphy Oil USA, Inc., No. 05-CV-436LG (SD Miss, Aug 30, 2007) (the court also dismissed the case for lack of standing).
157. Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep v Witherspoon, 2006 WL 2734359 (ED Cal 2006).
158. Cal Health & Safety Code § 43018.5 (West 2006).
159. Pacific Gas & Electric v State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. 461 US 190 (1983).
160. 127 S Ct 1438, 1462 (2007).
161. Green Mountain Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep v Crombie, 508 F Supp 2d 295 (D Vt 2007);
162. Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep, Inc. v Goldstone, 2007 WL 4372878 (ED Cal 2007).
163. Executive Order 13,342, 72 Fed Reg 27,717 (May 14, 2007).
164. Garrett Hardin, The Tragedy of the Commons, 162 Science 1243 (1968).
165. Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Marshall Islands were the first to ratify the UNF'CCC. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Status of Ratification, online at http://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/ convention/status_of_ratification/application/pdf/unfccc_conv_rat.pdf.
166. Id.
167. S Res 98, 105th Cong, 1st Sess (July 25, 1997).
168. Peter Baker, In Bush's Final Year, the Agenda Gets Greener, Wash Post Al, A10 (Dec 29, 2007).
169. Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, COP 13, Bali Action Plan, online at http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_13/application/pdf/ cp_bali_action.pdf.
170. President Bush Signs H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Dec 19, 2007), online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/ 2007/12/20071219-6.html.
171. See 2007 State of the Union Policy Initiatives (Jan 23, 2007), online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/sotu2007. pdf.
172. EPA Newsroom, America Receives a National Solution for Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Dec 19, 2007), online at http://yosemite.epa.gov/ opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/ 41b4663d8d3807c5852573b6008141e5!OpenDocument.
173. Letter from EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dec 19, 2007), online at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/ 20071219-slj.pdf.
174. Press Release, Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement After U.S. EPA Rejects California's Tailpipe Emissions Waiver Request (Dec 19, 2007), online at http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/8353/.
175. Arrogance and Warming, NY Times A38, Dec 21, 2007.
176. Georgia v Tennessee Copper Co., 237 US 474 (1915);
177. Wisconsin v Illinois, 281 US 696 (1930);
178. New Jersey v City of New York, 284 US 585 (1931).
179. See Robert V. Percival, Resolución de Conflictos Ambientales: Lecciones Aprendidas de la Historia de la Contaminación de las Fundiciones de Minerales, in Alejandra Quezada Apablaza, ed, Prevención y Solución de Conflictos Ambientales: Vias Administrativas, Jurisdiccionales y Alternativas 399, 407-17 (LexisNexis, 2004).