ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
March 26,
1992
VILLAGE OF NATTESON,
)
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB 90—146
(Enforcement)
WORLD MUSIC THEATRE,
)
JAN
PRODUCTIONS, LTD. and
)
DISCOVERY SOUTH GROUP,
LTD.
)
Respondents.
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by B.
Forcade):
On September 12,
1991,
the Board issued an order granting a
motion for reconsideration from World Music Theatre et.
al.
(Theatre)
to reconsider the Board’s August 22,
1991, order.
In
its September 12,
1991,
order, the Board noted that the sound
measurement data and analysis submitted to the Board by Theatre
failed to show compliance or non—compliance with Section 901.102
and the Board found several problem areas with the noise report.
Upon reconsideration, Matteson was given the opportunity to
request a hearing be held to present evidence on whether future
sound control was needed and suggest the method of sound control.
The Board required that the hearing and all post-hearing filings
be completed by March
2,
1992.
Matteson elected not to request a
hearing.
Absent additional evidence on sound control,
the order
suggested a possible final
order setting numerical noise
limitations and mandating Theatre to perform continuous long-term
monitoring.
On March
2,
1992, Theatre filed supplemental
comments.
On March
9,
1992, Matteson filed a response and
objection to Theatre’s comments.
Natteson’s response contends that Theatre’s comments should
not be allowed because it
is an attempt to offer collateral facts
and unsupported data into the record, without so much as an
attempt for leave to do so.
Further Matteson argues Theatre is
asserting specious arguments in total disregard for the record
currently in place.
Theatre’s comments maintain that Theatre is
currently not a source of noise pollution,
there has been no
demonstration to warrant continuous monitoring and continuous
monitoring is expensive and not practical.
The Board notes that Theatre’s March
2,
1992,
filing is
titled as a comment,
it does not request any action of the Board
but rather summarizes the status of the proceeding, presents
information on noise monitoring and discusses the proposed final
action.
The Board’s rules and regulations do not contain a
provision for the filing of comments in this type of proceeding
and the Board did not authorize this filing.
Section 101.242 of
the Board’s rules and regulations requires that all motions and
13
1—457
2
responses contain the grounds upon which the motion is made or
the reason for the responding parties position, the relief sought
and that facts not in the record be supported by affidavits.
Theatre’s filing does not satisfy the requirements of a motion or
response.
Theatre’s comments attempt to supplement the record by
presenting factual information from a different proceeding to
support its argument that continuous monitoring is expensive and
not practical.
This testimony is not a part of the record in
this mat~terand Natteson has been denied the opportunity to cross
examine the witnesses on the testimony presented.
In order for
the facts presented in Theatre’s comment to be considered in this
proceeding they would need to be presented in an adversarial
setting by qualified witnesses subject to cross examination.
Theatre also states that through its experience in operating two
summers of concerts it is able to control the sound emitted from
the theater.
This statement is not supported by any facts or
affidavits.
The Board cannot consider this statement or other
statements
in Theatre’s comments unless they are supported by
testimony that has been subjected to cross examination and
admitted in a proceeding where Mattésori has been allowed to
present opposing testimony.
At minimum Theatre’s comments can be
viewed as an attempt to respond to unresolved issues in this
matter.
However, because Theatre’s assertions are not supported
by the record or affidavit and Matteson was not allowed to cross
examine or present opposing testimony, the Board cannot consider
the comments
in making a final determination.
Because Matteson did not request a hearing,
“the Board
is
still unable to determine what,
if any, specific additional sound
abatement measures are necessary to remedy the noise violations
and alleviate the noise complaints.” Village of Natteson v.
World
Music Theatre
(September 12,
1991)
PCB 90—146,
____PCB
.
The
order of September 12,
1991,
allowed Matteson to request a
hearing to address the issues raised in ~hat order,
a similar
right was, not extended to Theatre.
Absent a hearing, Theatre was
denied an opportunity to respond.
While Theatre’s filing of
March
2 may be improper,
it does illustrate the fact that
Matteson was given the opportunity to present additional evidence
in this matter and Theatre was not provided with the same
opportunity without filing an additional motion with the Board.
While Theatre could have filed a motion requesting a hearing or a
motion for reconsideration of the September 12,
1991,
Board
order,
it should have been given the same opportunity for a
hearing as Natteson.
The Board finds that the Theatre’s March
2,
1992,
filing is
an unauthorized filing and contains facts not supported by the
record or affidavits.
Therefore,
the Board cannot consider the
comment in reaching its final order without the information
in
the comment being presented at hearing, subjected to cross
131—458
3
examination and opposing testimony.
The Board also concludes it
should have allowed Theatre to request a hearing on its own
behalf to respond to the issue of methods of sound control.
The
Board in this order seeks to correct its inadvertent omission
from its previous order of not allowing Theatre to request a
hearing.
Therefore,
the Board will construe Theatre’s comment as
a request for hearing and postpone entering a final order,
allowing time
for a hearing to be held for Theatre to present
evidence addressing whether the noise violations still exist and
the appropriate sound control techniques to be employed to
eliminate any violations.
The hearing officer is directed to set this matter for
hearing at the convenience of the parties.
Hearing must be
scheduled within 14 days of the date of this order and completed
within 60 days of the date of this order.
‘
The hearing officer
shall inform the Clerk of the Board. of the time and location of
the hearing at least 40 days in advance of the hearing so that
public notice of the hearing may be published.
The Board notes that Theatre will be shortly commencing its
series of summer concerts and therefore
a timely resolution to
this matter is required.
The hearing officer is instructed to
conduct the hearing as expeditiously as practical to prevent
further delay
in this proceeding.
To insure completion of
hearings in
a timely manner,
any motions that would cause the
hearing not to be completed within 60 days must be presented in
writing to the Board.
IT IS
SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy Gunn,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board,
hereby certify that the above order was adopted ~
the
~
day of
~
,
1992, by a vote of
~-(
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,
/~•
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Dorothy N. ~nn,
Clerk
Illinois Po’Xlution Control Board
13
1—459