ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September 16, 2008
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
v.
JOSEPH COMBS,
Respondent.
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AC 08-34
(IEPA No. 75-08-AC)
(Administrative Citation)
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by G.T. Girard):
On June 19, 2008, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Agency) filed an
administrative citation against Joseph Combs (Combs).
See
415 ILCS 5/31.1 (2006); 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 108. In today’s order, the Board dismisses this case because the Agency has failed
to file proof of service of the administrative citation on Combs.
The administrative citation concerns a facility located at 260 Isreal Street, White Hall,
Greene County. The property is commonly known to the Agency as “White Hall/Combs” and is
designated with Site Code No. 0610405013. The Agency alleges that Combs violated Sections
21(p)(1) and (p)(7) of the Environmental Protection Act (Act) (415 ILCS 5/21(p)(1), (p)(7)
(2006)) at the property by causing or allowing the open dumping of waste in a manner resulting
in litter and the deposition of general or clean construction or demolition debris. Because this
administrative citation addresses allegedly second or subsequent violations of Sections 21(p)(1)
and (p)(7) by Combs, the Agency seeks the statutory penalties of $3,000 for each alleged
violation, totaling $6,000.
See
415 ILCS 5/42(b)(4-5) (2006).
Section 31.1(b) of the Act requires the Agency to serve an administrative citation on a
respondent “within not more than 60 days after the observed violation.” 415 ILCS 5/31.1(b)
(2006);
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 108.202(b). Failure to timely serve the citation deprives the
Board of jurisdiction.
See, e.g.
, County of LaSalle v. Harriet and John Baugher
, AC 05-73, slip
op. at 1 (June 16, 2005) (dismissal for lack of jurisdiction after citation served on 64th day after
site inspection). Additionally, the Agency is required to file a copy of the administrative citation
with the Board “no later than 10 days after the date of service.” 415 ILCS 5/31.1(c) (2006);
see
also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 108.202(c). Compliance with the Act’s 10-day filing requirement is also
a jurisdictional prerequisite for the Board to hear or enter a default judgment on an
administrative citation.
See, e.g.
, County of Perry v. Mike Tilley, AC 07-3, slip op. at 1 (Aug.
17, 2006) (dismissal for lack of jurisdiction after citation was filed with the Board more than 10
days after date of service).
Here, the administrative citation filed by the Agency on June 19, 2008, did not include
the requisite proof of service. The Board has received no petition from Combs contesting the
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administrative citation. Despite repeated requests by the Clerk’s Office over the last few months,
the Agency has not yet filed proof that the administrative citation was served on Combs.
Further, over 60 days has passed since the filing of the citation, thus, timely service and the
timely requisite proof of service are unlikely to be had.
See
415 ILCS 5/31.1(b), (c) (2006);
see
also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 108.202(b), (c). Due to the Agency’s failure to file a proof of service, the
Board cannot determine whether it has jurisdiction over this case.
See
415 ILCS 5/31.1(b), (c)
(2006). Under these circumstances, the Board dismisses the administrative citation and closes
the docket.
See
35 Ill. Adm. Code 108.402.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Section 41(a) of the Environmental Protection Act provides that final Board orders may
be appealed directly to the Illinois Appellate Court within 35 days after the Board serves the
order. 415 ILCS 5/41(a) (2006);
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.300(d)(2), 101.906, 102.706.
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 335 establishes filing requirements that apply when the Illinois
Appellate Court, by statute, directly reviews administrative orders. 172 Ill. 2d R. 335. The
Board’s procedural rules provide that motions for the Board to reconsider or modify its final
orders may be filed with the Board within 35 days after the order is received. 35 Ill. Adm. Code
101.520;
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.902, 102.700, 102.702.
I, John Therriault, Assistant Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, certify that the
Board adopted the above order on September 16, 2008, by a vote of 4-0.
___________________________________
John Therriault, Assistant Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board