ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
July 22, 1993
RON’S INTERSTATE SUNOCO,
)
Petitioner,
v.
)
PCB 92—200
)
(UST Fund)
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
)
PROTECTION AGENCY,
)
Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by R.C. Fleinal):
This matter is before the Board on Ron’s Interstate Sunoco’s
(Ron’s) December 4, 1992 petition for review. Ron’s seeks review
of a November 2, 1992 Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency) decision denying Ron’s claim for reimbursement from the
Underground Storage Tank Fund (Fund).
This case was originally scheduled for hearing on February
16, 1993. However, that hearing was cancelled due to weather
conditions. On March 8, 1993, Ron’s filed a waiver of the
decision deadline in this case. Hearing was rescheduled for
April 7, 1993, at 10:00 a.m. However, Ron’s did not appear at
that hearing. (Tr. at 3-5.) The Agency then made an oral motion
for default and affirmation of the Agency’s November 2, 1992
decision.
On June 29, 1993, Ron’s filed a “motion in opposition of
motion for default and request for rehearing date.”1 In its
motion, Ron’s states: that in reviewing the file, it found a
February 17, 1993 notice of hearing entered by the hearing
officer; that “through inadvertence” the notice of hearing was
not entered into Ron’s attorney’s calendar and thus Ron’s failed
to appear at hearing; that Ron’s did not receive notice of “the
default”; and that on June 28, 1993, Ron’s attorney discovered
that the motion for default was pending and that Ron’s had failed
to appear at the April 7, 1993 hearing. Ron’s contends that it
would suffer irreversible and prejudicial harm if the motion for
default is granted. Thus, Ron’s asks that the motion for default
be denied, and this matter reset for hearing. Ron’s motion is
not supported by affidavit.
On July 8, 1993, the Agency filed its “response to
petitioner’s motion in opposition of motion for default and
request for rehearing date”. The Agency states that it made a
Ron’s also filed an open waiver of the Board’s decision
deadline on June 29, 1993.
2
proper oral motion for default at hearing in light of the
circumstances of that date. The Agency further states that “it
takes no position as to whether the motion should be granted or
denied”. (response at 2.)
The Board denies Ron’s request for a new hearing. In
addition to the failure to attend a properly noticed hearing and
failure to contact the Board for two months after the scheduled
hearing date, we are disturbed by Ron’s additional failure to
inquire into the status of this case until four days before the
decision deadline of July 2. Additionally, Ron’s motion should
have been supported by affidavit, since it contains facts outside
the record. A petitioner appealing an Agency determination on a
request for reimbursement from the Fund bears the burden of
proof. (415 ILCS 5/22.l8b(g), 40(a) (1) (1992).) (35 Ill.Adm.Code
Sangamon101.242.) CountyThe
Agency’sv.
Penningtonmotion (Marchfor
default25,
1993),is
granted.AC
92-78.)
(~
This
case is dismissed.
This opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law.
ORDER
The Agency’s motion for default is granted. This case is
dismissed.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Board Member J. Theodore Meyer dissented.
Section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS
5/41 (1992)) provides for the appeal of final Board orders within
35 days of service. The Rules of the Supreme Court of Illinois
establish filing requirements. (See also 35 Ill.Adm.Code 101.246
“Motions for Reconsideration”.)
I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the abov~opinion and order was
adopted on the ~:~‘‘~~day of
;
,
1993, by a
vote of
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.
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Dorothy N. Gun’n, Clerk
Illinois PollUtion Control Board