ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
December 17, 1998
LAWRENCE C. SWEDA,
Complainant,
v.
OUTBOARD MARINE CORPORATION
and THE CITY OF WAUKEGAN,
Respondents.
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PCB 99-38
(Enforcement - Noise, Citizens)
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by M. McFawn):
On December 1, 1998, respondent Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) filed a “Motion
to Correct Board Order,” in which OMC identified an error in the Board’s September 17, 1998
order denying the respondents’ motions to dismiss. The Board’s order refers to allegations in the
complaint as violations of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 901.102; in fact, the complaint alleges violations of
35 Ill. Adm. Code 900.102. The Board’s order of September 17, 1998, is hereby corrected by
changing all occurrences of “901.102” to “900.102” and replacing the last paragraph on the first
page of the order with the following:
Section 900.102 prohibits emission of sound so as to cause noise
pollution,
i.e.
, emission of sound that unreasonably interferes with
the enjoyment of life or any lawful business or activity. Section
901.104 prohibits emission of sound above certain decibel levels
under various circumstances. Mr. Sweda alleges that OMC and
Waukegan have violated these provisions through their operation of
propane cannons to frighten seagulls away from OMC and
Waukegan property on Waukegan Harbor. Comp. at 2-3.
OMC continues to argue that the complaint is frivolous, and now cites to the concurring
opinion in Williams v. Schaumburg Park District (May 16, 1996), PCB 96-186. OMC argues that
this matter is frivolous because there is no actual environmental harm. This argument, however, is
based upon facts not included in the complaint, but instead set forth in the respondents’ prior
motions to dismiss. The narratives in respondents’ motions to dismiss, including that cited by
OMC in the present motion, are not evidence and cannot be relied upon by the Board in making
any determination in this case. The concurring opinion in the Williams case was predicated on an
analysis of the allegations in the complaint. The Board accordingly concludes that the complaint
is not frivolous with respect to the alleged violations of Section 900.102.
On December 7, 1998, OMC filed a “Motion to Substitute Name on Service List,”
requesting that the OMC representative on the service list be changed from president and CEO
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David B. Jones to senior counsel Joseph Moran. No response to the motion has been received.
This motion is granted, and the service list will be modified accordingly.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, hereby certify that
the above order was adopted on the 17th day of December 1998 by a vote of 6-0.
Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board