ORDER
This mаtter is before the court on the parties’ cross motions for summary judgment. There are no factual disputes and the sole legal issue to be decided by this court is whether the Clean Air Act contains a waiver of sovereign immunity permitting a state to impose punitive civil fines on the United States.
I. FACTS
On March 21, 1994, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (“GDNR”) filed administrative petitions with the Georgia Board of Natural Resources seeking to impose punitive civil penalties on the United States Army 1 and the Federal Bureau of Prisons 2 for alleged violations of the Georgia Air Quality Act (“GAQA”), O.C.G.A. § 12-9-1, et seq. 3 The GDNR alleged that the federal facilities had modified their boiler systems without first obtaining either a permit 4 or an amendment to an existing permit. 5
The United States filed a motion to dismiss. In support of their position, the United States pointed to a recent Supreme Court ruling that similar provisions of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) did not waive the sovereign immunity of the United States to punitive civil fines.
See U.S. Department of Energy v. Ohio,
On June 15, 1994, Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Mark A. Dickerson denied the motion to dismiss. The ALJ noted that, without clear and binding precedent, he lacked the authority to decide the sovereign immunity issue and either ignore the Georgia statute or decide that the Georgia Assembly had exceeded its power in permitting the state to assess civil fines against federal facilities. On October 14, 1994, the ALJ entered final judgment and assessed a civil penalty of $10,000 against each of thе facilities.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Cross Motions for Summary Judgment
The parties have filed cross motions for summary judgment on the issue of whether the Clean Air Act contains a waiver of sovereign immunity for civil fines of a punitive nature.
The United States government is subject to suit only to the extent to which it waives its sovereign immunity.
U.S. v. Sherwood,
Generally, legislative history is used to place statutory language in its proper context.
Tidewater Oil Co. v. U.S.,
(1) The Clean Air Act
The court now turns its attention to the statutory language. The federal facilities provision of the Clean Air Act provides:
Each department, agency, and instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1) having jurisdiction over any property or facility, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the discharge of air pollutants, and each officer, agent, or employee thereof, shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of air pollution in the same manner, and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity. The preceding sentence shall apply (A) to any requirement whether substantive or procedural (including any recordkeeping or reporting requirement, any requirеment respecting permits and any other requirement whatsoever), (B) to any requirement to pay a fee or charge imposed by any State or local agency to defray the costs of its air pollution regulatory program, (C) to the exercise of any Federal, State, or local administrative authority, and (D) to any process and sanction, whether enforced in Federal, State, or local courts, or in any other manner. This subsection shall apply notwithstanding any immunity of such agenciеs, officers, agents, or employees under any law or rule of law. No officer, agent, or employee of the United States shall be personally liable for any civil penalty for which he is not otherwise liable.
42 U.S.C. § 7418(a) (Supp.1995) (emphases added). 9
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person may commence a civil action on his own behalf—
(1) against any person (including (i) the United States, and (ii) any other governmental instrumentality or agency to the extent permitted by the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution) who is alleged to be in violation of (A) an emission standard or limitation under this chapter or (B) an order issued by the Administrator or a State with respect to such a standard or limitation....
42 U.S.C. § 7604(a) (1983). Subsection (e) of this provision continues:
Nothing in this section shall restrict any right which any person (or class of persons) may have under any statute or common law to seek enforcement of any emission standard or limitation or to seek any other relief (including relief against the Administrator or a State agency). Nothing in the section or in any other law of the United States shall be construed to prohibit, exclude, or restrict any State, local, or interstate authority from—
(1) bringing any enforcement action or obtaining any judicial remedy or sanction in any State or local court, or
(2) bringing any administrative enforcement action or obtaining any administrative remedy or sanction in any State or local administrative agency, department or instrumentality,
against the United States, any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or any оfficer, agent, or employee thereof under State or local law respecting control and abatement of air pollution. For provisions requiring compliance by the United States, departments, agencies, instrumen-talities, officers, agents, and employees inthe same manner as nongovernmental entities, see section 7418 of this title.
42 U.S.C. § 7604(e) (1983) (emphases added). 10
(2) Department of Energy v. Ohio: Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
In 1992, after the State of Ohio attempted to lеvy a civil fine against the United States for noneompliance with state environmental laws, the Supreme Court examined the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to determine the extent that these statutes waived the sovereign immunity of the United States.
Department of Energy v. Ohio,
CITIZEN SUIT PROVISION
The Court first examined Ohio’s contention that the citizen suit provisions of the CWA and the RCRA waived the sovereign immunity of the federal government.
Id.,
The Court next turned to the expanded definition of “person” in the citizen suit sections.
Id.,
FEDERAL FACILITIES PROVISION
The Court then turned to Ohio’s argument that the federal facilities provisions of the RCRA and the CWA contained sufficient waivers of sovereign immunity such that punitive fines could be imposed on the United States.
Id.,
The Court first examined whether the use of “sanction” in the Clean Water Act indicated a congressional intent to subject the federal government to punitive as well as coercive fines.
Id.,
The Court then evaluated the extent of the waiver in the following passage from the Clean Water Act: “the United States shall be liable only for those civil penalties arising under federal law or imposed by a State or local court to enforce an order or the process of this court.”
Id.,
As its final inquiry into the waiver of sovereign immunity issue, the Court examined that portion of the RCRA text which provided that the federal government “shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, both substantive and procedural (including any requirement for permits or reporting or any provisions for injunctive relief and such sanctions as may be imposed by a court to enforce such relief).”
Id.,
In the majority’s final footnote, the Court rejected Ohio’s argument that the amendments to the RCRA which overruled
Hancock v. Train,
(3) Early Lower Court Cases
Prior to the Supreme Court’s 1992 exploration of the subject, several district courts had examined the waiver of sovereign immunity in the Clean Air Act. In
State of Alabama ex rel. Graddick v. Veterans Admin.,
As the Supreme Court in DOE found that the “all ... requirements” language of the Clean Water Act does not waive the United States’ sovereign immunity for civil punitive fines, this court must conclude that the conclusions of the Graddick and South Coast cases based on an identical passage of the Clean Air Act аre no longer valid. Nor do the courts’ interpretations of the Hancock case remain viable after DOE. In addition, any reliance on the Graddick court’s legislative history analysis would be misplaced in light of Nordic Village, supra.
In
State of Ohio ex rel. Celebrezze v. Department of the Air Force,
As the Supreme Court in DOE explicitly found that the word “sanction” carried no necessary implication of punitive fines, this court must reject the Celebrezze court’s conclusion that “sanction” encompasses all penalties. Nor can this court rely on Cele-brezze’s, legislative history analysis in light of Nordic Village, supra. One portion of the Celebrezze court’s opinion, however, remains untouched by subsequent Supreme Court precedent — the fact that the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act contain equitable language that modifies “sanction” while the Clean Air Act does not. This court will explore this open issue in the next section, infra.
(V) The Clean Air Act Revisited
In light of DOE and Celebrezze, this court must determine the extent that thе Clean Air Act waives the United States’ immunity to civil fines of a punitive nature.
CITIZEN SUIT PROVISION
In DOE, the Supreme Court held that the incomplete incorporation of the civil penalty portions of the CWA and the RCRA into their respective citizen suit sections prevented the imposition of punitive civil fines on the United States. The citizen suit provision of the Clean Air Act, however, does not reference a civil penalty section and the rationale of the DOE opinion, therefore, is inapplicable to the instant inquiry. Instеad, the citizen suit section of the CAA refers to section 7418, the federal facilities section. Any answer to the waiver of sovereign immunity issue must be found, therefore, in section 7418. Accordingly, this court holds that the citizen suit provision of the Clean Air Act does not express clearly a waiver of sovereign immunity to punitive civil fines. The waiver, if any, must be found in the federal facilities section of the Clean Air Act.
FEDERAL FACILITIES PROVISION
The federal facilities provisions of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Reсovery Act are quite similar to that of the Clean Air Act. All of the acts refer to “process and sanctions.” The acts subject the United States to all State environmental requirements. To the extent that the language of the Clean Air Act is similar to the CWA and the RCRA, this court adopts the rationale of the Supreme Court in DOE.
There are differences between the statutes, however. The Clean Water Act provides that the “United States shall be liable only for those civil penalties arising under Federal law оr imposed by a State or local court to enforce an order or the process of such court.” 33 U.S.C. § 1323(a). The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act provides that the federal government shall be
The court must resolve the one issue of the
Celebrezze
ease,
supra,
left open by DOE— whethеr the waiver of sovereign immunity in the Clean Air Act encompasses both coercive and punitive fines because the federal facilities section of the Clean Air Act does not have the clarifying, equitable language following the “process and sanction” provisions as found in the Clean Water Act and the RCRA. In
DOE,
the Supreme Court examined the “civil penalties” portion of the Clean Water Act after discussing the significance of the coupling of “sanction” with “process.”
In
DOE,
the Supreme Court also examined the “all ... requirements ... (including ... such sanctions imposed by a court to enforce such relief)” passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Id.
While the Court did note that the parenthetical description of coercive relief bolstered the conclusion that the passage provided only for equitable fines,
id.,
Since the only clearly expressed waiver of sovereign immunity in the Clean Air Act is for coercive fines, this court finds that punitive fines may not be imposed on the federal gоvernment thereunder. Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is GRANTED. Defendant’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED.
B. Motion to Strike
While motions to strike are generally disfavored when the objection is that the pleadings are immaterial, irrelevant, insufficient, and redundant,
Augustus v. Board of Public Instruction of Escambia County, Fla.,
This court will not consider arguments raised for the first time in a reply brief.
See U.S. v. Oakley,
Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment [8-1] is GRANTED. Defendants’ motion for summary judgment [9-1] is DENIED. Plaintiffs motion to strike a portion of Defendant’s reply brief [12-1] is GRANTED.
SO ORDERED.
Notes
. The Army facility accused of violating state environmental laws is the Fort Benning Military Installation near Columbus, Georgia.
. The рrison facility in question is the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia.
. O.C.G.A. § 12-9-23(a) (1992) provides that violations of the GAQA may be punished by civil penalties of not more than $25,000.00 per day.
. O.C.G.A. § 12-9-7(a) (Supp.1994) provides that one must obtain a permit for each source "capable of causing or contributing to the emission of air contaminants.”
. In addition, it was alleged that the federal facilities had failed to maintain fuel consumption records as the terms of the permits require.
. 42 U.S.C. § 7418(a) (Supp.1995).
. 42 U.S.C. § 7604(e) (1983).
.
But see Loeffler v. Frank,
. The federal facilities provision of the Clean Water Act in relevant part provides:
Each department, branch, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1)having jurisdiction over any property or facility, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the discharge or runoff of pollutants, and each officer, agent, or employee thereof in the performance of his official duties, shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of water pollution in the same manner, and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity including the payment of reasonable service charges. The preceding sentence shall apply (A) to any requirement whether substantive or procedural (including any recordkeeping or reporting requirement, any requirement respecting permits and any other requirement whatsoever), (B) to the exercise of any Federal, State, or local administrative authority, and (C) to any process and sanction, whether enforced in Federal, State, or local courts or in any other manner. This subsection shall apply notwithstanding any immunity of such agencies, officers, agents, or employees under any law or rule of law.... No officer, agent, or employee of the United States shall be personally liable for any civil penalty arising from the performance of his official duties, for which he is not otherwise liable, and the United States shall be liable only for those civil penalties arising under Federal law or imposed by a State or local court to enforce an order or the process of such court.
33 U.S.C. § 1323(a) (1986) (emphases added).
The federal facilities provision of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in relevant part provides:
Each departmеnt, agency, and instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1) having jurisdiction over any solid waste management facility or disposal site, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the disposal or management of solid waste or hazardous waste shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, both substantive and procedural (including any requirement for permits or reporting or any provisions for injunc-tive relief and such sanctions as may be imposed by a court to enforce such relief), respecting control and abatement of solid waste or hazardous waste disposal in the same manner, and to the same extent, as any person is subject to such requirements, including the payment of reasonable service charges. Neither the United States, nor any agent, employee, of officer thereof, shall be immune or exempt from any process or sanction of any State or Federal Court with respect to the enforcement of such injunctive relief.
42 U.S.C. § 6961 (1983) (emphases added). The court notes that the 1992 amendment to § 6961, which provides that the “United States hereby expressly waives any immunity otherwise applicable to the United States with respect to any such substantive or procedural requirement,” did not take effect until October 6, 1995. Since the alleged federal violations in the instant case occurred in 1994, this amendment does not apply.
. The citizen suit provision of the Clean Wаter Act in pertinent part provides:
any citizen may commence a civil action on his own behalf—
(1) against any person (including (i) the United States, ...) who is alleged to be in violation of (A) an effluent standard or (B) an order issued by the Administrator or a State with respect to such a standard or limitation. ...
The district courts shall have jurisdiction ... to enforce such an effluent standard or limitation, or such an order ... as the case may be, and to apply any appropriate civil penalties under section 1319(d) of this title.
33 U.S.C. § 1365(a) (1986).
The citizen suit provision of the Resource Conservatiоn and Recovery Act in relevant part provides:
any person may commence a civil action on his own behalf—
(1)(A) against any person (including (a) the United States ...) who is alleged to be in violation of any permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, prohibition, or order which has become effective pursuant to this chapter....
The district court shall have jurisdiction ... to enforce the permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, prohibition, or order, referred to in paragraph (1)(A), ... and to apply any appropriate civil penalties under section 6928(a) and (g) of this title.
42 U.S.C. § 6972(a) (Supp.1995).
. In
Hancock v. Train,
the Supreme Court held that the 1970 version of the Clean Air Act did not impose state permit requirements on federal facilities.
