north carolina motion to intervene 9/24/2013 nd cal

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Marc Bernstein (Motion for admission pro hac vice pending) Special Deputy Attorney General North Carolina Department of Justice P.O. Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 NC State Bar No. 21642 Phone Number: (919)716-6956 Fax Number: (919) 716-6764 E-mail Address: [email protected] Michael N. Westheimer (State Bar No. 178938) Buchalter Nemer, PC 55 Second Street, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA 94105-3493 Phone Number: (415) 227-0900 Fax Number: (415) 904-3111 E-mail Address: [email protected] Attorneys for the State of North Carolina, Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND DIVISION SIERRA CLUB and NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL Plaintiffs, and THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor, v. REGINA MCCARTHY, in her official capacity as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Defendant. _____________________________________ ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No: 4:13-cv-03953(KAW) Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor North Carolina’s Notice of Motion, Motion to Intervene and Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Date: November 7, 2013 Time: 11:00 a.m. Place: Courtroom 4, 3rd Floor Magistrate Judge: The Hon. Kandis A. Westmore 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page1 of 19

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North Carolina Motion to Intervene 9/24/2013 ND Cal

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  • Marc Bernstein (Motion for admission pro hac vice pending)

    Special Deputy Attorney General

    North Carolina Department of Justice

    P.O. Box 629

    Raleigh, NC 27602

    NC State Bar No. 21642

    Phone Number: (919)716-6956

    Fax Number: (919) 716-6764

    E-mail Address: [email protected]

    Michael N. Westheimer (State Bar No. 178938)

    Buchalter Nemer, PC

    55 Second Street, Suite 1700

    San Francisco, CA 94105-3493

    Phone Number: (415) 227-0900

    Fax Number: (415) 904-3111

    E-mail Address: [email protected]

    Attorneys for the State of North Carolina, Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

    NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

    SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND DIVISION

    SIERRA CLUB and NATURAL

    RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

    Plaintiffs,

    and

    THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

    Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor,

    v.

    REGINA MCCARTHY, in her official

    capacity as Administrator of the United States

    Environmental Protection Agency

    Defendant.

    _____________________________________

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    Case No: 4:13-cv-03953(KAW)

    Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor

    North Carolinas Notice of Motion, Motion to Intervene and

    Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene

    Date: November 7, 2013

    Time: 11:00 a.m.

    Place: Courtroom 4, 3rd Floor

    Magistrate Judge: The Hon. Kandis A.

    Westmore

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    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page1 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page i

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    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    TABLE OF AUTHORITIES .......................................................................................................... ii

    I. ISSUE TO BE DECIDED .................................................................................................. 2

    II. STATEMENT OF FACTS ................................................................................................. 2

    III. NORTH CAROLINA IS ENTITLED TO INTERVENE AS A MATTER OF RIGHT .... 5

    A. Legal Standard ........................................................................................................ 5

    B. North Carolina Has Timely Moved to Intervene. ................................................... 5

    C. North Carolina Has a Significant Protectable Interest Relating to the Issues. ........ 6

    D. Disposition of the Action May Impair or Impede North Carolinas Ability to

    Protect its Interests. ................................................................................................. 9

    E. North Carolinas Interests Are Not Adequately Represented by the

    Existing Plaintiffs.................................................................................................. 11

    IV. ALTERNATIVELY, NORTH CAROLINA IS ENTITLED TO INTERVENE

    ON A PERMISSIVE BASIS. ........................................................................................... 12

    V. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 14

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page2 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page ii

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    TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

    Cases

    Arakaki v. Cayetano, 324 F.3d 1078 (9th Cir. 2003) ................................................................ 5,6,9

    Catawba County v. EPA, 571 F.3d 20 (D.C. Cir. 2009) ................................................................. 4

    Forest Conservation Council v. U.S. Forest Serv., 66 F.3d 1489(9th Cir. 1995)........................... 6

    General Motors Corp. v. United States, 496 U.S. 530 (1990) ........................................................ 2

    In re Estate of Ferdinand E. Marcos Human Rights Litig., 536 F.3d 980 (9th Cir. 2008) ............ 6

    Kootenai Tribe of Idaho v. Veneman, 313 F.3d 1094 (9th Cir. 2002) ..................................... 12,13

    Mille Lac Band of Chippewa Indians v. State of Minn., 989 F.2d 994 (8th Cir. 1993) .................. 6

    Nw. Forest Res. Council v. Glickman, 82 F.3d 825 (9th Cir. 1996) ........................................ 11,13

    Sierra Club v. EPA, 995 F.2d 1478 (9th Cir. 1993)........................................................................ 9

    Spangler v. Pasadena City Bd. of Educ., 552 F.2d 1326 (9th Cir. 1977) ................................ 12,13

    Sw. Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Berg, 268 F.3d 810 (9th Cir. 2001) ................................... 9,11

    Trbovich v. United Mine Workers of Am., 404 U.S. 528 (1972) .................................................. 11

    U.S. ex rel. McGough v. Covington Technologies Co., 967 F.2d 1391 (9th Cir. 1992) ................. 6

    U.S. v. State of Oregon, 745 F.2d 550 (9th Cir. 1984) ................................................................... 5

    Union Elec. Co. v. EPA, 427 U.S. 246 (1976) ................................................................................ 3

    United States v. City of Los Angeles, 288 F.3d 391 (9th Cir. 2002) ............................................... 6

    Statutes

    28 U.S.C. 1367(a) ................................................................................................................. 13,14

    42 U.S.C. 7407(a) ........................................................................................................................ 2

    42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(A) .............................................................................................................. 3

    42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(A)(ii) ....................................................................................................... 12

    42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(B)(i) .......................................................................................................... 3

    42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(2)(A) .............................................................................................................. 3

    42 U.S.C. 7409(a) ........................................................................................................................ 2

    42 U.S.C. 7410(a) ........................................................................................................................ 8

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page3 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page iii

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    42 U.S.C. 7475-7479 ................................................................................................................. 4

    42 U.S.C. 7501-7509 ................................................................................................................... 4

    42 U.S.C. 7604(a)(2) .................................................................................................................. 13

    42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2) ................................................................................................................. 12

    N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-215.107D ..................................................................................................... 7

    United States Constitution

    U.S. Const. Article III .................................................................................................................. 14

    Rules of Court

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24 ............................................................................................................................ 9

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a) .................................................................................................................... 1,2

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a)(2) ................................................................................................................... 5

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(b) .................................................................................................................... 1,2

    7C Charles Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary Kay Kane,

    Fed. Prac. & Proc. 1911, 357-63 (2d ed. 1986) ............................................................12

    Regulations

    40 C.F.R. 50.17 ............................................................................................................................ 8

    75 Fed. Reg. 35,520 (June 22, 2010) .............................................................................................. 4

    77 Fed. Reg. 46,295 (Aug. 3, 2012)................................................................................................ 4

    78 Fed. Reg. 47,191 (Aug. 5, 2013) ................................................................................................4

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page4 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 1

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    NOTICE OF MOTION TO INTERVENE

    PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on November 7, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter

    as the matter may be heard, in Courtroom 4, 3rd

    Floor, of the Oakland Courthouse, 1301 Clay

    Street, Oakland, California 94612, the State of North Carolina will bring for hearing a motion to

    intervene in this action.

    RELIEF REQUESTED

    Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 24(a) and (b), the State of North Carolina

    moves to intervene in this matter as a matter of right or, in the alternative, on a permissive basis.

    This motion is based on this Notice of Motion and Motion, the Memorandum of Points and

    Authorities filed herewith, the proposed Complaint in Intervention filed as an exhibit herewith,

    the declaration in support of this Motion from Sheila Holman, Director of the Division of Air

    Quality of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and upon such

    other matters as may be presented to the Court at the time of the hearing. The State requests that

    the Court allow this motion, allow the State to participate fully in this matter as a plaintiff, and

    allow the State to proceed without the technical requirement of filing an intervenor complaint, as

    discussed more fully below. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-1(b), the State respectfully requests

    that the Court grant this motion without oral argument or, if the Court wishes to hear oral

    argument, that the argument take place by telephone conference.

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page5 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 2

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    MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES

    I. ISSUE TO BE DECIDED

    Whether the State of North Carolina is entitled to intervene as of right in this action under

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a) or, in the alternative, is entitled to permissive intervention under Fed. R.

    Civ. P. 24(b).

    II. STATEMENT OF FACTS

    On August 26, 2013, Plaintiffs Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council

    (collectively, Plaintiffs) filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief against the

    Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Defendant, EPA, or

    Administrator). The Complaint alleges that the Defendant has failed to promulgate and

    publish designations for the revised sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard

    (NAAQS). Comp. 1, 32. The Complaint further alleges that the Defendants failure to take

    such action constitutes a failure to perform a nondiscretionary duty under the Clean Air Act

    (CAA). Comp. 1, 32, 37.

    The CAA establishes a comprehensive national program that makes the States and the

    Federal Government partners in the struggle against air pollution. General Motors Corp. v.

    United States, 496 U.S. 530, 532 (1990). The CAA charges EPA with setting the NAAQS,

    which prescribe the maximum permissible levels of common pollutants in the ambient air. 42

    U.S.C. 7409(a). The States, however, retain the primary responsibility for choosing how to

    attain those standards within their borders. Id. 7407(a) (Each State shall have the primary

    responsibility for assuring air quality within the entire geographic area comprising such State . . .

    .). The States implement the NAAQS within their borders through State Implementation Plans

    (SIPs). Through the SIP, each State has broad discretion to choose which sources within its

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page6 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 3

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    borders will reduce emissions, and how to allocate the reductions. See Union Elec. Co. v. EPA,

    427 U.S. 246, 249-50 (1976).

    The State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and

    Natural Resources (NCDENR) and its Division of Air Quality (DAQ), implements and

    enforces the States SIP. DAQ oversees the implementation and enforcement of the new and

    revised NAAQS under the CAA, including the issuance of preconstruction permits to new or

    expanding facilities within the State. (Holman Decl. 5) (Attached as Exhibit A)

    Section 107(d)(1)(A) of the CAA states that within one year after promulgation of new or

    revised NAAQS, the Governor of each State shall submit to the Administrator of EPA a list

    designating all areas (or portions thereof) in the State as nonattainment, attainment, or

    unclassifiable for that NAAQS. 42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(A). An area is designated

    nonattainment for a particular pollutant if the ambient levels of that pollutant exceed the

    respective NAAQS. In an attainment area, the air quality comports with the NAAQS. An area

    is unclassifiable if it cannot be classified on the basis of available information as meeting or

    not meeting the [NAAQS]. Id. Section 107(d)(1)(B) of the CAA provides that upon

    promulgation or revision of a NAAQS, the Administrator shall promulgate the designation of

    all areas submitted by the Governor of each State under 107(d)(1)(A) as expeditiously as

    practicable, but in no case later than two years from the date of promulgation of the new or

    revised [NAAQS]. Id. 7407(d)(1)(B)(i). The Administrator must publish a notice in the

    Federal Register promulgating such designations. Id. 7407(d)(2)(A). The deadline for

    promulgating these designations may be extended for up to one year in the event the

    Administrator determines that additional information is needed. Id.

    How the State carries out its implementation program depends in part on how the areas

    of the State are designated. For example, for each nonattainment area the State is required to

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page7 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 4

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    devise and implement a strategy to achieve pollution reductions that are calibrated to bring the

    area into attainment. See e.g., 42 U.S.C. 7501-7509. No such pollution reduction requirements

    apply in attainment and unclassifiable areas. Illustrative of this distinction are the CAAs

    preconstruction permitting programs. Preconstruction permitting for new and significantly

    modified sources in attainment/unclassifiable areas falls under the Prevention of Significant

    Deterioration of Air Quality (PSD) program. 42 U.S.C. 7475-7479. However,

    preconstruction permitting in nonattainment areas falls under the nonattainment new source

    review (NNSR) program. Id. 7503. The NNSR program requires much stricter pollution

    controls in nonattainment areas than does the PSD program in attainment/unclassifiable areas.

    See Catawba County v. EPA, 571 F.3d 20, 26 (D.C. Cir. 2009).

    On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a revision of the primary NAAQS for SO2. 75 Fed.

    Reg. 35,520 (June 22, 2010) (revised SO2 NAAQS). This promulgation triggered the States

    obligation to submit designations by June 3, 2011. North Carolina complied with this obligation.

    (Holman Decl. 8) The promulgation of the revised SO2 NAAQS also triggered the

    Administrators nondiscretionary duty to promulgate area designations by no later than June 2,

    2012. On August 3, 2012, EPA announced in the Federal Register that it was extending the

    deadline for promulgating area designations for the revised SO2 NAAQS by one year. 77 Fed.

    Reg. 46,295 (Aug. 3, 2012). The notice stated that, [w]ith this extension, the EPA is now

    required to complete . . . designations for this NAAQS by June 3, 2013. Id.

    On August 5, 2013, EPA published in the Federal Register final air quality designations

    for the SO2 NAAQS for only 29 areas, encompassing parts of only sixteen states. 78 Fed. Reg.

    47,191 (Aug. 5, 2013). EPA only promulgated designations for areas that included air quality

    monitors showing nonattainment. EPA did not designate any areas as attainment even if

    monitors in those areas showed attainment. EPA did not designate any areas in North Carolina

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page8 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 5

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    including areas with monitored attainment for the SO2 NAAQS. At the time of the filing of

    this Motion, EPA continues to fail to designate any areas for the SO2 NAAQS within the State of

    North Carolina.

    III. NORTH CAROLINA IS ENTITLED TO INTERVENE AS A MATTER OF RIGHT.

    A. Legal Standard

    Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a)(2) traditionally receives liberal construction in favor of applicants

    for intervention. Arakaki v. Cayetano, 324 F.3d 1078, 1083 (9th Cir. 2003). Rule 24(a)(2)

    provides that on a timely motion, the Court must permit anyone to intervene who claims an

    interest relating to the property or transaction that is the subject of this action, and is so situated

    that disposing of the action may impair or impede the movants ability to protect its interest,

    unless existing parties adequately represent that interest.

    A party seeking to intervene as of right must meet four requirements: (1) the

    applicant must timely move to intervene; (2) the applicant must have a

    significantly protectable interest relating to the property or transaction that is the

    subject of the action; (3) the applicant must be situated such that the disposition of

    the action may, as a practical matter, impair or impede the partys ability to protect that interest; and (4) the applicants interest must not be adequately represented by existing parties.

    Arakaki, 324 F.3d at 1083; Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a)(2). North Carolina meets these four

    requirements.

    B. North Carolina Has Timely Moved to Intervene.

    The instant motion was filed at a very early stage of the proceeding without any

    improper delay, and without causing any prejudice to the existing parties. The Ninth Circuit has

    directed that courts be lenient in applying the timeliness requirement where, as here, the

    intervention is sought as a matter of right. U.S. v. State of Oregon, 745 F.2d 550, 552 (9th Cir.

    1984). The Courts leniency is applied after considering three factors: (1) the stage of the

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page9 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 6

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    proceeding at which an applicant seeks to intervene; (2) the prejudice to other parties; and (3) the

    reason for and length of the delay. U.S. ex rel. McGough v. Covington Technologies Co., 967

    F.2d 1391, 1394 (9th Cir. 1992). All three factors militate in favor of finding that North

    Carolinas motion is timely. North Carolina has filed its motion at a very early stage of the

    proceeding. The Defendant has not yet filed a responsive pleading to Plaintiffs complaint and

    the Court has not yet held the initial case management conference. Order August 26, 2013,

    DKT# No. 8. Furthermore, although the parties may not favor the intervention of another party

    with a distinct interest, they will not suffer any prejudice from the timing of North Carolinas

    motion. See Mille Lac Band of Chippewa Indians v. State of Minn. 989 F.2d 994, 999 (8th Cir.

    1993) (distinguishing the type of prejudice that always exists when a party with an adverse

    interest seeks intervention from prejudice caused solely by the timing of the motion).

    C. North Carolina Has a Significant Protectable Interest Relating to the Issues.

    The Ninth Circuit has held that the requirement of a significant protectable interest is

    satisfied when the interest is protectable under some law, and . . . there is a relationship between

    the legally protected interest and the claims at issue. Arakaki, 324 F.3d at 1084 (quoting Sierra

    Club v. EPA, 995 F.2d 1478, 1484 (9th Cir. 1993)). The Courts inquiry is practical, and [n]o

    specific legal or equitable interest need be established. Forest Conservation Council v. U.S.

    Forest Serv. 66 F.3d 1489, 1493 (9th Cir. 1995), abrogated on other grounds by Wilderness Soc.

    v. U.S. Forest Serv., 630 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. 2011). The Ninth Circuit has held that the interest

    test is primarily a guide to disposing of lawsuits by involving as many apparently concerned

    persons as is compatible with efficiency and due process. In re Estate of Ferdinand E. Marcos

    Human Rights Litig., 536 F.3d 980, 985 (9th Cir. 2008) (quoting United States v. City of Los

    Angeles, 288 F.3d 391 (9th Cir. 2002)).

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page10 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 7

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    North Carolina has a protectable interest in insuring that EPA carries out its

    nondiscretionary duty of designating areas in North Carolina for the revised SO2 NAAQS as

    expeditiously as possible, but in no case later than Congress explicit deadline. As stated above,

    North Carolina has been charged under the CAA with ensuring that the NAAQS are met in a

    timely manner and maintained within its borders.

    North Carolina has taken great strides in reducing SO2 emissions. Fossil fuel-fired

    electric utility steam generating units (EGUs) are the single largest category of SO2 emissions

    sources in the United States, as well as here in North Carolina. In June 2002, North Carolina

    enacted landmark multi-pollutant legislation known as the Clean Smokestacks Act (NCCSA)

    which requires significant reductions of SO2 emissions from the investor-owned EGUs those

    owned by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) and Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.

    (Progress) in North Carolina. (These companies have since merged and are now collectively

    known as Duke Energy.) Under the NCCSA, coal-fired power plants were required to reduce

    SO2 emissions by 73% by 2013 relative to 1998 emission levels. See N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-

    215.107D. The power companies have gone beyond the requirements of the NCCSA. By

    calendar year 2012, Duke Energy and Progress had reduced SO2 emissions by 89% relative to

    1998 emission levels. The reductions required by the NCCSA must be achieved through actual

    reductions at the EGUs, not by buying or trading emissions credits from utilities in other states.

    Additionally, the EGUs have entered into binding agreements with the State barring them from

    selling credits for the reductions achieved as a result of the NCCSA, ensuring that utilities in

    other States do not negate gains achieved in North Carolina. (Holman Decl. 6,7)

    Additionally, with regard to the revised SO2 NAAQS that is at issue in this case, North

    Carolina initially had one monitor in the State that exceeded the standard. NCDENR worked

    closely with sources in the area to determine which sources were causing or contributing to the

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page11 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 8

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    exceedance. NCDENR amended air quality permits for three facilities to reduce their SO2

    emissions. As a result, North Carolina was able to demonstrate attainment at this monitor with

    data for the three-year period of 2010-2012, which is the time interval specified by EPA for use

    in the designation process. 40 C.F.R. 50.17. With that situation resolved, all five SO2

    monitors in North Carolina are attaining the SO2 NAAQS. Thus, North Carolina requested that

    the five counties with monitored attainment be designated as attainment, that 32 counties be

    designated as attainment due to having no or only small SO2 sources, and that the remaining 63

    counties be designated as unclassifiable/attainment. (Holman Decl. 9)

    On February 6, 2013, EPA acknowledged that no monitors showed violations of the SO2

    NAAQS in North Carolina. EPA stated that it was not yet prepared to propose designation

    action in North Carolina, and therefore, in direct contravention of the CAA, indicated that it was

    deferring action to designate areas in North Carolina. EPA stated that it anticipated that it

    would proceed with designation action in North Carolina once additional data are gathered

    pursuant to our comprehensive implementation strategy. On April 8, 2013, NCDENRs

    Secretary responded to EPA, noting that there is no deferral option for designations under the

    CAA and requesting that EPA designate all areas in North Carolina as

    unclassifiable/attainment. (Holman Dec. 10)

    North Carolina is prejudiced by EPAs failure to follow the requirements of the CAA.

    North Carolina is charged with submitting a SIP that provides for implementation, maintenance,

    and enforcement of the SO2 NAAQS. 42 U.S.C. 7410(a). North Carolinas efforts to

    implement the requirements of the Clean Air Act are adversely impacted by EPAs failure to

    promulgate designations. EPAs failure to designate areas as required by the CAA subjects

    North Carolina to a detrimental uncertainty that will negatively affect the States economy,

    private development, and the public interest. (Holman Decl. 16)

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page12 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 9

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    D. Disposition of the Action May Impair or Impede North Carolinas Ability to Protect its Interests.

    An applicant satisfies the requirement that disposition of the action may, as a practical

    matter, impair or impede the partys ability to protect that interest if the resolution of the

    plaintiffs claims actually will affect the applicant. Arakaki, 324 F.3d at 1084 (quoting Sierra

    Club, 995 F.2d at 1484). [I]f an absentee would be substantially affected in a practical sense

    by the determination made in an action, he should, as a general rule, be entitled to intervene.

    Sw. Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Berg, 268 F.3d 810, 822 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Fed. R. Civ.

    P. 24 advisory committee notes).

    The resolution of the Plaintiffs claims will affect North Carolina. Should the Plaintiffs

    prevail, any resolution of the Plaintiffs claims, either by order or settlement, would presumably

    provide a directive as to when EPA must take action on North Carolinas SO2 NAAQS

    attainment designations. Furthermore, North Carolinas interests may also be adversely affected

    by such a resolution to the extent that it includes substantive requirements for making

    designations.

    North Carolina has an interest in assuring that any resolution of this matter is limited to

    requiring EPA to immediately promulgate and publish SO2 designations. On February 6, 2013,

    the same day EPA notified North Carolina and other states of its decision to defer

    designations, EPA published a document entitled Next Steps for Area Designations and

    Implementation of the [SO2 NAAQS]. The document purports to describe EPAs plans for

    completing the designations, and importantly notes that the strategy for doing so anticipates

    further rulemaking and development of guidance by EPA. (Holman Decl. 12) EPA has

    issued numerous guidance documents and white papers regarding implementation of the SO2

    NAAQS since its promulgation in 2010, which specifically address the approach for determining

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page13 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 10

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    whether an area is or is not meeting the 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Due to limitations in the scope of

    the ambient monitoring network, EPA proposed some combination of air quality modeling and

    monitoring. (Holman Decl. 12) North Carolina has been an active participant in commenting

    on EPAs various proposals, and has consistently taken the position that, (1) as EPA has

    suggested, any such implementation must be adopted through rulemaking, and not informal

    guidance documents, and (2) that modeling should not be used as the basis for designating an

    area as nonattainment. Plaintiff Sierra Club has submitted comments to EPA suggesting that

    EPA must designate several areas, including an area in North Carolina, as nonattainment based

    upon the very modeling that North Carolina has concluded should never be used to designate an

    area as nonattainment. (Holman Decl. 13)

    On September 3, 2013, the Director of DAQ, Sheila Holman, wrote a letter to the EPA

    Administrator expressing her concerns regarding this lawsuit. Ms. Holman explained that North

    Carolina has a direct interest in the issue addressed in this lawsuit, and that it was her

    understanding that EPA and Sierra Club were discussing terms of a possible settlement regarding

    designations. Ms. Holman indicated that it was important that all stakeholders, including North

    Carolina, be included in any settlement discussions and be given a chance to provide input into

    any proposed settlement agreement. (Holman Decl. 15)

    North Carolina is concerned that the current Plaintiffs will seek, and the Defendant will

    agree to, a resolution to this case that involves not only the timing of the NAAQS designations,

    but also sets forth requirements regarding how EPA will make the designations themselves. As

    noted above, EPA has recently indicated its interest in dramatically changing its decades-old

    methodology for promulgating designations. Enshrining such a policy shift in a consent decree

    would allow EPA to bypass notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures, prejudicing the rights

    of sovereign States.

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page14 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 11

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    E. North Carolinas Interests Are Not Adequately Represented by the Existing Plaintiffs.

    An applicants burden in showing inadequate representation is minimal, and the

    applicant need only show that representation of its interests by existing parties may be

    inadequate. Trbovich v. United Mine Workers of Am., 404 U.S. 528, 538 n.10 (1972). In

    determining whether the prospective intervenors interest will be adequately represented by an

    existing party, courts consider:

    (1) whether the interest of a present party is such that it will undoubtedly make all

    the intervenors arguments; (2) whether the present party is capable and willing to make such arguments; and (3) whether the would-be intervenor would offer any

    necessary elements to the proceedings that other parties would neglect.

    Nw. Forest Res. Council v. Glickman, 82 F.3d 825, 838 (9th Cir. 1996). [I]t is not the

    Applicants burden at this stage in the litigation to anticipate specific differences in trial strategy.

    It is sufficient for Applicants to show that, because of the difference in interests, it is likely that

    Defendants will not advance the same arguments as Applicants. Sw. Ctr. for Biological

    Diversity, 268 F.3d at 824.

    As explained above, the States are in the unique position of being charged under the CAA

    with ensuring that the NAAQS are met and maintained within their borders. Therefore, North

    Carolina may have substantially different views on a timeline relating to a potential remedy that

    may not be adequately represented by the Plaintiffs or the Defendant. Furthermore, North

    Carolina may also have substantially different views as to whether any potential settlement

    between the parties should go beyond addressing the timing of the publication of the SO2

    NAAQS designations in the Federal Register. Should any such resolution address the

    substantive designations or the methodology used for making those designations, North Carolina

    does not agree with Plaintiff Sierra Clubs position that any areas in North Carolina may be

    designated as nonattainment based upon modeling. Instead, North Carolina believes that in light

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page15 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 12

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    of EPAs admission that the areas for which it has deferred designation cannot be classified

    on the basis of available information as meeting or not meeting the [NAAQS], EPA must

    designate those areas as unclassifiable in accordance with the CAA. 42 U.S.C.

    7407(d)(1)(A)(ii). (Holman Decl. 17)

    Therefore, North Carolina has met the test for intervention as a matter of right and should

    be allowed to intervene.

    IV. ALTERNATIVELY, NORTH CAROLINA IS ENTITLED TO INTERVENE ON A PERMISSIVE BASIS.

    In the alternative, North Carolina should be allowed to intervene in this action on a

    permissive basis. Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(b) states that the court may grant permissive intervention

    on a timely motion to anyone who has a claim or defense that shares with the main action a

    common question of law or fact. North Carolina clearly meets these requirements.

    As discussed above, the instant motion is timely. In addition, North Carolinas claims

    share the same nucleus of laws and facts as the Plaintiffs action. If there is a common

    question of law or fact, the requirement of the rule has been satisfied. Kootenai Tribe of Idaho

    v. Veneman, 313 F.3d 1094, 1108 (9th Cir. 2002) (quoting 7C Charles Alan Wright, Arthur R.

    Miller & Mary Kay Kane, Fed. Prac. & Proc. 1911, 357-63 (2d ed. 1986), abrogated on other

    grounds by Wilderness Soc. v. U.S. Forest Serv., 630 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. 2011). On August 2,

    2013, pursuant to section 304(b)(2) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2), North Carolina gave

    notice to Defendant of North Carolinas intent to sue Defendant for failure to designate areas for

    the 2010 SO2 NAAQS the very issue that Plaintiffs have brought before this Court. (Holman

    Decl. 14) North Carolina has a significant interest in the outcome of this litigation, and its

    participation would significantly contribute to the just and equitable adjudication of the legal

    questions presented. Spangler v. Pasadena City Bd. of Educ. 552 F.2d 1326, 1329 (9th Cir.

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page16 of 19

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    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 13

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    1977), because North Carolina brings to the litigation the perspective of a party with unique

    status under the statutes at issue. Thus, North Carolinas involvement in this litigation would

    assist and not prejudice or delay the adjudication of the original parties rights.

    The Ninth Circuit has previously stated that, in addition to the requirements listed under

    Rule 24, an applicant seeking permissive intervention must also show that the court has an

    independent basis for jurisdiction over the applicants claims. Nw. Forest Resource Council, 82

    F.3d at 839. However, Ninth Circuit case law is not uniform as to whether an independent

    jurisdictional basis is an absolute requirement for permissive intervention. In Kootenai Tribe of

    Idaho v. Veneman, 313 F.3d 1094, 1109 (9th Cir. 2002), the court stated that permissive

    intervention generally only requires a common question of law or fact between the proposed

    intervenors claim and the main action. The court, however, found that in the unusual context

    where only the intervenors appealed, the court was required to find independent jurisdictional

    grounds for the defendant-intervenors appeal. Id. (emphasis added). This explanation in

    Kootenai indicates that showing an independent jurisdictional basis is not necessary in the more

    typical context, such as the case here, where an applicant seeks to intervene at the district court

    level.

    North Carolina should not be required to demonstrate an independent basis for this

    Courts jurisdiction to support its motion to intervene in this case. North Carolina will not be

    asserting additional claims beyond those raised in the Plaintiffs complaint. Section 304 of the

    CAA makes it clear that the district court has jurisdiction over actions, such as the case sub

    judice, against the Administrator of the EPA where there is an alleged failure of the

    Administrator to perform a nondiscretionary duty under the CAA. 42 U.S.C. 7604(a)(2).

    However, to the extent that North Carolina is required to demonstrate a jurisdictional basis

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page17 of 19

  • Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene and Memorandum CASE NO.: 4:13-cv-03953

    of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene Page 14

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    independent of that provided under Section 304 of the CAA, such basis is provided in 28 U.S.C.

    1367(a) which states the following:

    [I]n any civil action of which the district courts have original jurisdiction, the

    district courts shall have supplemental jurisdiction over all other claims that are so

    related to claims in the action within such original jurisdiction that they form part

    of the same case or controversy under Article III of the United States

    Constitution. Such supplemental jurisdiction shall include claims that involve the

    joinder or intervention of additional parties.

    The only claim that North Carolina will pursue herein against the Defendant is, in

    essence, the same as that pursued by the Plaintiffs (i.e., the Defendant failed to promulgate and

    publish area designations for the revised SO2 NAAQS). Therefore, North Carolina has satisfied

    all the requirements for permissive intervention.

    As required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(c), this motion is accompanied by a pleading that sets

    out the claim or defense for which intervention is sought, which is attached as Exhibit B.

    V. CONCLUSION

    For the foregoing reasons, the State of North Carolina respectfully requests that the Court

    grant its motion to intervene.

    DATED: September 24, 2013

    Respectfully submitted,

    ROY COOPER

    Attorney General

    By: /s/ Marc Bernstein

    Marc Bernstein

    Special Deputy Attorney General

    N.C. Department of Justice

    /s/ Michael N. Westheimer

    Michael N. Westheimer

    Buchalter Nemer, PC

    Attorneys for the State of North Carolina

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page18 of 19

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    CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

    I hereby certify that on this the 24th day of September, 2013, I electronically filed the

    foregoing Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor North Carolinas Notice of Motion and Motion to

    Intervene and Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion to Intervene with the

    Court using the ECF system and served notice by first-class mail return-receipt requested on the

    following parties:

    Regina McCarthy

    Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency

    U.S. EPA

    William Jefferson Clinton Building

    1200 Pennsylvania Avenue

    N.W., Washington, DC 20460

    United States Environmental Protection Agency

    William Jefferson Clinton Building

    1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

    Washington, DC 20460

    Eric Holder

    U.S. Attorney General

    U.S. Department of Justice

    950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

    Washington, DC 20530-0001

    Melinda Haag

    United States Attorney for the Northern District of California

    Federal Courthouse

    Eleventh Floor

    450 Golden Gate Avenue

    San Francisco, CA 94102

    /s/ Marc Bernstein

    Marc Bernstein

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16 Filed09/24/13 Page19 of 19

  • EXHIBIT A

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-1 Filed09/24/13 Page1 of 7

  • Affidavit and Declaration in Support of the State of CASE NO.:4:13-cv-03953-KAW

    North Carolinas Motion to Intervene PAGE NO. 1 OF 6

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    Marc Bernstein (motion for admission to practice pro hac vice pending)

    Special Deputy Attorney General North Carolina Department of Justice P.O. Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 NC State Bar No. 21642 Phone Number:(919)716-6956 Fax Number: (919) 716-6764 E-mail Address: [email protected] Michael N. Westheimer (State Bar No. 178938) Buchalter Nemer, PC 55 Second Street, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA 94105-3493 Phone Number: (415) 227-0900 Fax Number: (415) 904-3111 E-mail Address: [email protected] Attorneys for the State of North Carolina, Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

    NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

    SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND DIVISION SIERRA CLUB and NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL Plaintiffs, and THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor, v. REGINA MCCARTHY, in her official

    capacity as Administrator of the United States

    Environmental Protection Agency Defendant.

    ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

    Case No.4:13-cv-03953-KAW

    AFFIDAVIT & DECLARATION

    OF SHEILA HOLMAN IN

    SUPPORT OF THE STATE

    OF NORTH CAROLINAS MOTION TO INTERVENE

    SHEILA HOLMAN, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

    1. I, Sheila Holman, am over the age of twenty-one (21) years and am competent to

    testify. I make this Declaration for all purposes permitted by law.

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-1 Filed09/24/13 Page2 of 7

  • Affidavit and Declaration in Support of the State of CASE NO.:4:13-cv-03953-KAW

    North Carolinas Motion to Intervene PAGE NO. 2 OF 6

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    2. Except where qualified, I have personal knowledge of the facts hereinafter stated

    or I have obtained such knowledge after review of DAQs books and records as they are kept in

    the ordinary course of business.

    3. I am the Director of the Division of Air Quality (DAQ), North Carolina

    Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR). I was Chief of the

    Attainment Planning Branch at DAQ from January 1993 until August 2002. I was the Assistant

    Chief of the Planning Section from August 2002 through June 2003, when I became Chief of the

    Planning Section. I became Deputy Director of DAQ in August of 2008, in which position I

    remained until I became the Director in June of 2010. From January 1988 to January 1993 I was

    an Environmental Engineer with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    As part of my responsibilities at EPA, I was one of the primary authors of the General Preamble

    for Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act of 1990. I graduated from North Carolina

    State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.

    4. My responsibilities at DAQ include overseeing the State of North Carolinas

    efforts to control emissions of criteria air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), in order to

    achieve the purposes of North Carolinas pollution control laws and the Clean Air Act (CAA).

    5. DAQ oversees the implementation and enforcement of the new and revised

    national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) under the CAA, including the issuance of

    preconstruction permits to new or expanding facilities within the State.

    6. North Carolina has taken great strides in reducing SO2 emissions. Fossil fuel-

    fired electric utility steam generating units (EGUs) are the single largest category of SO2

    emissions sources in the United States, as well as here in North Carolina. In June 2002, North

    Carolina enacted landmark multi-pollutant legislation known as the Clean Smokestacks Act

    (NCCSA) which requires significant reductions of SO2 emissions from the investor-owned

    EGUs those owned by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) and Progress Energy

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-1 Filed09/24/13 Page3 of 7

  • Affidavit and Declaration in Support of the State of CASE NO.:4:13-cv-03953-KAW

    North Carolinas Motion to Intervene PAGE NO. 3 OF 6

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    Carolinas, Inc. (Progress). (These companies have since merged and are now collectively

    known as Duke Energy.)

    7. Under the NCCSA, coal-fired power plants were required to reduce SO2

    emissions by 73% by 2013 relative to 1998 emission levels. The power companies have gone

    beyond the requirements of the NCCSA. By calendar year 2012, Duke Energy and Progress had

    reduced SO2 emissions by 89% relative to 1998 emission levels. The reductions required by

    NCCSA must be achieved through actual reductions at the EGUs, not by buying or trading

    emissions credits from utilities in other states. Additionally, the EGUs have entered into binding

    agreements with the State barring them from selling credits for the reductions achieved as a

    result of the NCCSA, ensuring that utilities in other states do not negate gains achieved in North

    Carolina. N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-215.107D.

    8. On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a revision of the primary NAAQS for SO2.

    North Carolina complied with its obligation to submit designations by June 3, 2011,

    recommending one area in part of one county be designated as nonattainment, forty-three

    counties be designated attainment, and 63 counties be designated as unclassifiable/attainment.

    9. While North Carolina initially had one monitor in the state that exceeded the

    standard, NCDENR worked closely with sources in the area to determine which sources were

    causing or contributing to the exceedance. NCDENR amended air quality permits for three

    facilities to reduce their SO2 emissions. As a result, North Carolina was able to demonstrate

    attainment at this monitor with data for the three-year period of 2010-2012, which is the time

    interval specified by EPA for use in the designation process. With that situation resolved, all

    five SO2 monitors in North Carolina are attaining the SO2 NAAQS. Thus, North Carolina

    requested that the five counties with monitored attainment be designated as attainment, that 32

    counties be designated as attainment due to having no or only small SO2 sources, and that the

    remaining 63 counties be designated as unclassifiable/attainment.

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-1 Filed09/24/13 Page4 of 7

  • Affidavit and Declaration in Support of the State of CASE NO.:4:13-cv-03953-KAW

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    10. On February 6, 2013, EPA acknowledged that no monitors showed violations of

    the SO2 NAAQS in North Carolina, but stated that it was not yet prepared to propose

    designation action in North Carolina, and was therefore deferring action to designate areas in

    North Carolina. EPA stated that it anticipated that it would proceed with designation action in

    North Carolina once additional data are gathered pursuant to our comprehensive implementation

    strategy. On April 8, 2013, NCDENRs Secretary responded to EPA, noting that there is no

    deferral option for designations under the CAA, and requesting that EPA designate all areas in

    North Carolina as unclassifiable/attainment.

    11. On August 5, 2013, EPA published in the Federal Register final air quality

    designations for the SO2 NAAQS for only 29 areas, encompassing sixteen states. EPA did not

    designate any areas in North Carolina including areas with monitored attainment for the SO2

    NAAQS. At the time of the signing of this Declaration, EPA continues to fail to designate any

    areas for the SO2 NAAQS within the State of North Carolina.

    12. On February 6, 2013, the same day EPA notified North Carolina and other states

    of its decision to defer designations, EPA published a document entitled Next Steps for Area

    Designations and Implementation of the [SO2 NAAQS]. The document purports to describe

    EPAs plans for completing the designations, and importantly notes that the strategy for doing so

    anticipates further rulemaking and development of guidance by EPA. EPA has issued

    numerous guidance documents and white papers regarding implementation of the SO2 NAAQS

    since its promulgation in 2010, which specifically address the approach for determining whether

    an area is or is not meeting the 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Due to limitations in the scope of the

    ambient monitoring network, EPA proposed some combination of modeling and monitoring.

    13. North Carolina has been an active participant in commenting on EPAs various

    proposals, and has consistently taken the position that, (1) as EPA has suggested, any such

    implementation must be adopted through rulemaking, and not informal guidance documents, and

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-1 Filed09/24/13 Page5 of 7

  • Affidavit and Declaration in Support of the State of CASE NO.:4:13-cv-03953-KAW

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    (2) that modeling should not be used as the basis for designating an area as nonattainment.

    Plaintiff Sierra Club has submitted comments to EPA suggesting that EPA must designate

    several areas, including an area in North Carolina, as nonattainment based upon the very

    modeling that North Carolina has concluded should never be used to designate an area as

    nonattainment.

    14. On August 2, 2013, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2), North Carolina gave

    notice to Defendant of North Carolinas intent to sue EPA for failure to designate areas for the

    2010 SO2 NAAQS.

    15. On September 3, 2013, I wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy

    expressing my concerns regarding the lawsuit filed by Sierra Club. I explained that North

    Carolina had a direct interest in the issue addressed in the lawsuit, and that it was my

    understanding that EPA and Sierra Club were discussing terms of a possible settlement regarding

    designations. I indicated that it was important that all stakeholders, including North Carolina, be

    included in any settlement discussions and be given a chance to provide input into any proposed

    settlement agreement.

    16. North Carolinas efforts to implement the requirements of the Clean Air Act are

    adversely impacted by EPAs failure to promulgate designations. EPAs failure to designate

    areas as required by the CAA subjects North Carolina to a detrimental uncertainty that will

    negatively affect the States economy, private development and the public interest.

    17. North Carolina believes that in light of EPAs admission that the areas for which

    it has deferred designation cannot be classified on the basis of available information as

    meeting or not meeting the [NAAQS], EPA must designate those areas as unclassifiable in

    accordance with the CAA. 42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(A)(ii).

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  • EXHIBIT B

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    Marc Bernstein (motion for admission to practice pro hac vice pending)

    Special Deputy Attorney General

    North Carolina Department of Justice

    P.O. Box 629

    Raleigh, NC 27602

    NC State Bar No. 21642

    Phone Number: (919) 716-6956

    Fax Number: (919) 716-6764

    E-mail Address: [email protected]

    Michael N. Westheimer (State Bar No. 178938)

    Buchalter Nemer, PC

    55 Second Street, Suite 1700

    San Francisco, CA 94105-3493

    Phone Number: (415) 227-0900

    Fax Number: (415) 904-3111

    E-mail Address: [email protected]

    Attorneys for the State of North Carolina, Plaintiff-Intervenor

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

    NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

    SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND DIVISION

    SIERRA CLUB and NATURAL

    RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

    Plaintiffs,

    and

    THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

    Proposed Plaintiff-Intervenor,

    v.

    REGINA MCCARTHY, in her official

    capacity as Administrator of the United States

    Environmental Protection Agency,

    Defendant.

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    Case No: 4:13-cv-03953 (KAW)

    PROPOSED PLAINTIFF-INTERVENOR

    NORTH CAROLINAS COMPLAINT IN INTERVENTION

    (Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.)

    Case3:13-cv-03953-SI Document16-2 Filed09/24/13 Page2 of 8

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    INTRODUCTION

    1. The State of North Carolina (Plaintiff) files this suit to compel the Administrator of the

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator or EPA), to take action mandated by

    the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. (CAA) to designate areas within North Carolina as

    nonattainment or attainment/unclassifiable for the revised National Ambient Air Quality

    Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide (SO2). On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a revision of

    the primary NAAQS for SO2 (revised SO2 NAAQS). 75 Fed. Reg. 35,520 (June 22, 2010).

    This promulgation triggered a nondiscretionary duty for EPA to designate areas throughout the

    country as attainment/unclassifiable or nonattainment with respect to the revised SO2 NAAQS.

    EPA did not designate any areas in North Carolina for the revised SO2 NAAQS. At the time of

    the filing of this Complaint, EPA continues to fail to designate any areas for the revised SO2

    NAAQS within the State of North Carolina.

    JURISDICTION

    2. This is an action to compel the Defendant to perform acts or duties under the CAA that

    are not discretionary. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7604(a). This Court

    also has jurisdiction because the claim arises under the laws of the United States, namely the

    CAA, and because the United States is a defendant. 28 U.S.C. 1331, 1346.

    3. On June 4, 2013 and June 25, 2013, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2), Plaintiffs Sierra

    Club and Natural Resources Defense Council sent notice to the Defendant of their intent to

    pursue legal action due to the Administrators failure to perform the nondiscretionary duty under

    the CAA. The sixty-day period indicated in 42 U.S.C. 7604 expired and the Administrator has

    not performed the nondiscretionary duties under the CAA as complained of herein. The

    Plaintiffs have satisfied the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2).

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    4. As shown more fully by the facts set forth below, this case presents a case or controversy

    within the meaning of Article III of the United States Constitution, and, more particularly, the

    Plaintiff North Carolina has standing to pursue this claim.

    VENUE

    5. Venue is proper in this district pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7604(a) and 28 U.S.C. 1331,

    1391. The relief requested by Plaintiff is authorized pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7604 and 28 U.S.C.

    2201, 2202, and 1361.

    INTRADISTRICT ASSIGNMENT

    6. This action does not arise in any particular Division of the Court. However, because this

    is a Complaint in Intervention in an existing matter -- Sierra Club v. Regina McCarthy, Case No.

    4:13-cv-03953 -- that is assigned to the San Francisco/Oakland Division of this Court, for the

    efficient administration of justice and the convenience of the parties, the matter should be

    assigned to the same Division.

    PARTIES

    7. The Plaintiff is a sovereign State. The Plaintiff is also a person as that term is used in

    42 U.S.C. 7604(a). Id. 7602(d), (e).

    8. Defendant Regina McCarthy is the Administrator of the United States Environmental

    Protection Agency. In that role, Administrator McCarthy has been charged by Congress with the

    duty to administer the Clean Air Act, including the mandatory duties at issue in this case.

    STATEMENT OF LEGAL ISSUES

    9. The CAA requires the EPA to promulgate NAAQS for certain criteria pollutants in the

    ambient air, such as SO2. 42 U.S.C. 7408(a)(1).

    10. The CAA states that within one year after promulgation of new or revised NAAQS, the

    Governor of each State shall submit to the Administrator of EPA a list designating all areas (or

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    portions thereof) in the State as nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable for that

    NAAQS. 42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(A).

    11. Upon promulgation or revision of a NAAQS, the Administrator shall promulgate the

    designation of all areas submitted by the Governor of each State as expeditiously as

    practicable, but in no case later than two years from the date of promulgation of the new or

    revised [NAAQS]. Id. 7407(d)(1)(B)(i). The Administrator must publish a notice in the

    Federal Register promulgating such designations and the deadline for doing so may be extended

    for up to one year in the event the Administrator determines that additional information is

    needed. Id. 7407(d)(2)(A).

    STATEMENT OF FACTS

    12. On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a revision of the primary NAAQS for SO2. 75 Fed.

    Reg. 35,520 (June 22, 2010). This promulgation triggered the States obligation to submit

    designations by June 3, 2011.

    13. North Carolina complied with this obligation and submitted designations for SO2 by June

    3, 2011. In particular, North Carolina requested that its five counties with monitored attainment

    be designated as attainment, that 32 counties be designated as attainment due to having no or

    only small SO2 sources, and that the remaining 63 counties be designated as

    unclassifiable/attainment.

    14. The promulgation of the revised SO2 NAAQS also triggered the Administrators

    nondiscretionary duty to promulgate designations of nonattainment or attainment/unclassifiable

    for the revised SO2 NAAQS for all areas pursuant to CAA Section 107(d)(1)(B) by no later than

    June 2, 2012, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register promulgating those designations. 42

    U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(B)(i).

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    15. On August 3, 2012, EPA announced in the Federal Register that it was using its authority

    under Section 107(d)(1)(B)(i) of the CAA to extend the deadline for promulgating area

    designations for the revised SO2 NAAQS by one year. 77 Fed. Reg. 46,295 (Aug. 3, 2012). The

    notice stated that, [w]ith this extension, the EPA is now required to complete . . . designations

    for this NAAQS by June 3, 2013. Id.

    16. On February 6, 2013, EPA acknowledged that no monitors showed violations of the SO2

    NAAQS in North Carolina. EPA stated that it was not yet prepared to propose designation

    action in North Carolina, and therefore, in direct contravention of the CAA, indicated that it was

    deferring action to designate areas in North Carolina. EPA stated that it anticipated that it

    would proceed with designation action in North Carolina once additional data are gathered

    pursuant to our comprehensive implementation strategy. On April 8, 2013, NCDENRs

    Secretary responded to EPA, noting that there is no deferral option for designations under the

    CAA and requesting that EPA designate all areas in North Carolina as attainment/unclassifiable.

    On August 2, 2013, pursuant to Section 304(b)(2) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7604(b)(2), North

    Carolina gave notice to Defendant of North Carolinas intent to sue Defendant for failure to

    designate areas for the revised SO2 NAAQS.

    17. On August 5, 2013, EPA published in the Federal Register final air quality designations

    for the revised SO2 NAAQS for only 29 areas, encompassing parts of only sixteen states. 78

    Fed. Reg. 47,191 (Aug. 5, 2013). EPA only promulgated designations for areas that included air

    quality monitors showing nonattainment. EPA did not designate any areas as attainment even if

    monitors in those areas showed attainment. EPA did not designate any areas in North Carolina

    including areas with monitored attainment for the revised SO2 NAAQS.

    18. At the time of the filing of this Complaint, EPA continues to fail to designate any areas

    for the revised SO2 NAAQS within the State of North Carolina.

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    19. North Carolina is prejudiced by EPAs failure to follow the requirements of the CAA.

    North Carolina is charged with submitting a SIP that provides for implementation, maintenance,

    and enforcement of the SO2 NAAQS. 42 U.S.C. 7410(a). North Carolinas efforts to

    implement the requirements of the Clean Air Act are adversely impacted by EPAs failure to

    promulgate designations. EPAs failure to designate areas as required by the CAA subjects

    North Carolina to a detrimental uncertainty that will negatively affect the States economy,

    private development, and the public interest.

    20. For all of the foregoing reasons, the Administrator is in violation of the nondiscretionary

    duty imposed by 42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1) and (d)(2).

    REQUEST FOR RELIEF

    WHEREFORE, the State of North Carolina respectfully requests that the Court:

    1. Declare that the Administrator is in violation of the Clean Air Act with regard to her

    failure to perform each mandatory duty listed above;

    2. Issue a mandatory injunction requiring the Administrator to perform her mandatory

    duties by a certain date set by the Court;

    3. Retain jurisdiction of this matter for purposes of enforcing the Courts order;

    4. Grant North Carolina its reasonable costs of litigation, including attorneys and expert

    witness fees; and

    5. Grant such further relief as the Court deems proper.

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    DATED: September 24, 2013

    Respectfully submitted,

    ROY COOPER

    Attorney General

    By: /s/ Marc Bernstein

    Marc Bernstein

    Special Deputy Attorney General

    North Carolina Department of Justice

    P.O. Box 629

    Raleigh, NC 27602

    NC State Bar No. 21642

    Phone Number: (919)716-6956

    Fax Number: (919) 716-6764

    E-mail Address: [email protected]

    By: /s/ Michael N. Westheimer

    Michael N. Westheimer

    (State Bar No. 178938)

    Buchalter Nemer, PC

    55 Second Street, Suite 1700

    San Francisco, CA 94105-3493

    Phone Number: (415) 227-0900

    Fax Number: (415) 904-3111

    E-mail Address:

    [email protected]

    Counsel for the Proposed Plaintiff

    Intervenor State of North Carolina

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