ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
December
2,
1976
COMMITTEE TO SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT, et al.,
Complainants,
V.
)
PCB 75—443
HARRY A. CARLSON and DONALD F. KREGER, d/b/a
SOUTH SUBURBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT CO., and the
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Respondents,
)
and
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,
Intervenors.
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Mr.
Zeitlin):
Subsequent to the entry of our Interim Order of October 14,
1976 in this matter, which Order granted,
sua sponte,
leave for
Complainants to amend their Complaint,
Complainants filed
a Motion
for Stay on November 12,
1976.
Complainants base this Motion on
the pendency in the Circuit Court of Cook County of a Complaint
for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief against Respondents here,
the
Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals,
and this Board.
Respondent Carison filed a Response in opposition to Complainants’
Motion on November 17,
1976.
That Response renews Respondents’
Motion to Dismiss.
Intervenors People of the State of Illinois filed a Response
in opposition
to Complainants’ Motion
on November
22,
1976.
That
Response
aryues
that
inasmuch
as the above Circui.t
Court
action was
initiated
by Complainants, grant of any stay of the instant proceedings
based on the pendency of that action would
“trivialize
the jurisdiction
of the Board,” rewarding Complainants’
“forum shopping.”
Intervenors People of the State of Illinois also move for leave
to withdraw as Intervenors and, based on the Board’s Order of
October
14, 1976,
further argue that the entire proceeding should
be dismissed.
24 —321
—2—
Intervenors also note that Complainants’ Notion for Stay does
not indicate service on all parties
(in particular, Respondent
F nvi
nnren~al
Pr
tection
Agency
~ierinq
it
defective
ir its
enti.~:tv
and
wit:~out
effect.
We agree
with
the
latter
contention.
Procedural
Rule
308(a)
specifically requires service on
all
parties.
We are not presented
with any compelling reason to waive that requirement.
As noted by
Respondent Carison, cause 76 L 18994, Committee, ~et~ai;.,.v.
Carison,
et al.,
is pending at Complainants’ election
~t1e~c:a:~e~w
filed
subsequent
to the entry of the Board’s October
14, 1976 Order
Although this Board has previously held that ju~Isdic?idñ in matters
involving administrative review of Agency-issued permits
lies with
the Board, we cannot coerce prosecution in this forum.
Complainants
retain
the option of attempting judicial enforcement of rights under
the Environmental Protection Act.
But exercise of that option when
Complainants are already before this Board cannot provide cause for
a stay, when Complainants request that a stay be granted
to prevent
a multiplicity of action and a duplication of effort.
Complainants
have chosen their
forum:
the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Our October 14,
1976 Order noted
(at p.
3)
that the Complaint
in this matter
is not “sufficiently specific to state a cause of
action
independent
of the allegation that the Agency gave no
consideration
to land use,
etc.”
(Emphasis
in original.)
We
allowed time for amendment to correct that lack of specificity.
Inasmuch as Complainants have failed to timely file an Amended
Complaint
or otherwise correct existing defects
in the Complaint,
and
have chosen to prosecute their claim in another
forum, Complainants’
Motion for Stay must be dismissed,
and Respondents’
Motion for
Dismissal of the case shall be granted.
IT
IS SO ORDERED.
Mr.
James
Younq
abstained.
I,
Christan
L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control
Board,
hereby
certify
the
above
Order
was
adopted
on
the
day
of
December,
1976,
by
a
vote
of
-
Christan
L.
Moffett~~1erk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
24
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322