ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
June 21, 1990
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 90-89
(Enforcement)
FRED JOHNSON, HERMAN L. LOEB
JOHNSON & BRIGGS TANK
TRUCK SERVICE a/k/a/ JOHNSON
& BRIGGS TANK TRUCK & HEATER
SERVICE, an Illinois Corporation,
Respondent.
ORDER OF THE BOARD (‘Dy 3’. Marlin):
This matter is before the Board on Fred Johnson’s and Johnson
and Briggs, Inc.’s (“Johnson”) Motion to Strike filed May 25,
1990. The motion states that the Complaint filed against it by
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (‘Agency”) is
insufficient in that it fails to allege any violation by
Respondent of regulations, standards or permit requirements which
led to its alleged violation of Section 21(j) of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Act (“Act”). The Respondent also claims
that certain allegations in Count I, II, and III of the Complaint
are barred by the applicable statute of limitations and that
portions of the Complaint also fail to state with sufficient
particularity the violations against Fred Johnson acting in his
individual capacity.
The Agency filed a Motion For Leave to File Complainant’s
Motion for Extension of Time Instanter, with the accompanying
motion, on June 12, 1990. In its Motion for Extension of Time
the Agency requested that it be given additional time to responed
to the ~kotion to Strike. The Agency filed its Response in
Oppostion to Respondent’s Motion to Strike on June 13, 1990. As
an initial matter, the Agency’s motion for leave to file
instanter and the motion for extension of time are granted. ~1e
now turn to the merits of Johnson’s motion to strike.
The motion claims that in Count I the Agency did not plead
with sufficient particularity, the viclationsof Section 21(j) of
the Act Johnson is said to have committed. Our reading, however,
of Count I of the complaint reveals “sufficient information as
reasonably informs respondent of the nature of the claim
respondent isi called upon to meet’~ (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch.
110, par. 2—612(b)). ParagraDhs 21, 22, 25 and 28 contain the
information upon which the People rely to present their cause of
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action against the respondent. In our opinion each of these
paragraphs relate back to the claimed violation of Section 21(j)
and do so with the particularity required by statute. Therefore,
the motion to strike Count I is denied.
In addition, we have reviewed the Complaint in its entirety
concerning 3’ohnson’s assertion that the complaint fails to state
a cause of action against him individually, as opposed to his
corporate capacity. While we believe that the People’s
allegations made against Fred Johnson individually, i.e. outside
Johnson’s authority as an official of Johnson & Briggs, Inc., do
not precisely differentiate between the two capacities, this
failing is not sufficient to strike them. As we read it
respondent is alleged to have violated certain statutes while
acting in one or both capacities.If respondent wishes to assert
the distinction as a defense at hearing, he may do so.
We turn, finally, to Johnson’s contentions that all
allegations. of violations which occurred prior to May 1, 1986
(five years prior to the filing of this Complaint) are barred by
the statute of limitations. ~e find that the Fifth District
Appellate Court’s decision in Pielet Brothers Trading, Inc. v.
Pollution Control Board, 110 Ill. App. 3d 752, 757—8 (5th Dist.
1982) controls. There the court stated:
“Unless the terms of a statute of limitations expressly
include the state, county, municipality or the
governmental agencies, the statute, so far as public
rights are concerned, as distinguished from private and
local rights, is inapplicable to them. Id. at 758.
We do not find Respondent’s claim that the general five year
limitation statute applies persuasive. Therefore, Johnson’s
motion to strike all allegations of conduct occurring prior to
May 1, 1986 is also denied.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board hereby cert~fy that the above Order was adopted ~on the
~ day of
_______________
,
1990 by a vote of
______________
/~
~-;‘
~
,1 ~,
Dorothy M. ~‘unn, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
112—412