Save Sheyenne River v. Dept. of Health

• Decision Date: 21 February 2008
• Docket Number: No. 20070118.,20070118.
• Parties: PEOPLE TO SAVE the SHEYENNE RIVER, INC., the Peterson Coulee Outlet Association, the National Wildlife Federation and the Government of the Province of Manitoba, Appellants v. NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, and North Dakota State Water Commission, Appellees.
• Court: North Dakota Supreme Court

744 N.W.2d 748

2008 ND 34

PEOPLE TO SAVE the SHEYENNE RIVER, INC., the Peterson Coulee Outlet Association, the National Wildlife Federation and the Government of the Province of Manitoba, Appellants v. NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, and North Dakota State Water Commission, Appellees.

No. 20070118.

Supreme Court of North Dakota.

February 21, 2008.

William J. Delmore (argued) and Daniel Nagle (on brief), Kelsch, Kelsch, Ruff &

Kranda, Mandan, N.D., and Daniel E. Buchanan (on brief), Jamestown, N.D., for appellant People to Save the Sheyenne River, Inc.

Joseph J. Cichy, P.C. (on brief); Bismarck, N.D., for appellant Peterson Coulee Outlet Association.

James Murphy (on brief), Montpelier, VT, for appellant National Wildlife Federation.

Richard A. Wegman (appeared) and Eldon V.C. Greenberg (appeared), Garvey Schubert Barer, Washington, D.C., for appellant the Government of the Province of Manitoba.

Dean J. Haas (argued), Assistant Attorney General and Lyle G. Witham (appeared), Assistant Attorney General, Office of Attorney General, Bismarck, N.D., for appellee North Dakota Department of Health.

Matthew Arnold Sagsveen (argued), Assistant Attorney General, Office of Attorney General, Bismarck, N.D., for appellee North Dakota State Water Commission.

CROTHERS, Justice.

[¶ 1] Opponents to the modification of a permit for the Devils Lake outlet (collectively "Manitoba") appeal from a district court judgment affirming a decision by the North Dakota Department of Health to modify the permit. Manitoba claims the Health Department failed to conduct a required antidegradation review before modifying the permit and there was not "cause" to support the modification. We conclude the Health Department did not act arbitrarily, capriciously, or unreasonably in deciding an antidegradation review was not required to modify the permit and there was cause to modify a sulfate limitation in the initial permit. We also conclude, however, the Health Department acted arbitrarily, capriciously, and unreasonably in deciding there was cause to modify the method for measuring total suspended solids ("TSS") and the period of operation for the permit. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with instructions to remove the modifications for TSS and the period of operation for the permit.

I

[¶ 2] As part of an approach to provide relief from flooding by Devils Lake, the Health Department granted the North Dakota State Water Commission a North Dakota Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NDPDES") permit in August 2003, to construct and operate an outlet to discharge water from the West Bay of Devils Lake into the Sheyenne River. Devils Lake is about fifteen miles from the Sheyenne River, which is a tributary to the Red River. The Sheyenne River generally flows in a southeasterly direction and forms Lake Ashtabula at the Bald Hill Dam, which is about 270 river miles upstream from the Sheyenne River's confluence with the Red River. The Red River forms the boundary between North Dakota and Minnesota and flows north across the Canadian border into Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, which in turn drains into Hudson Bay. The NDPDES permit expires at midnight on June 30, 2008, and includes ongoing requirements for monitoring water quality.

[¶ 3] In People to Save the Sheyenne River, Inc. v. North Dakota Dep't of Health, 2005 ND 104, 697 N.W.2d 319, we described additional factual background and circumstances leading up to the issuance of the initial permit, and in June 2005, we affirmed the Health Department's decision to issue the permit. The Water Commission began operating the outlet in August 2005, with a discharge point into the Sheyenne River between an upstream monitoring gauge at Flora and a downstream monitoring gauge at Bremen. The initial permit allowed the Water Commission to operate the outlet "only during the open-water season, the months May through November" as long as the discharge of water into the Sheyenne River did not' cause the sulfate concentration at Bremen to exceed 300 milligrams per liter, or TSS to exceed 100 milligrams per liter.

[¶ 4] In 2005, the Water Commission only operated the outlet in August, primarily because sulfate levels at Bremen exceeded the 300 milligrams per liter limitation. The Water Commission investigated the high sulfate levels in the Sheyenne River, and the Commission determined the natural background sulfate levels varied considerably and often exceeded the water quality standard of 450 milligrams per liter for category 1 waters like the Sheyenne River and the 300 milligrams per liter required by the initial permit.

[¶ 5] In May 2006, the Water Commission asked the Health Department to modify three conditions of the permit: (1) to raise the sulfate limit at Bremen from 300 milligrams per liter to 450 milligrams per liter, which is the standard for the Sheyenne River, or alternatively, to allow the operation of the outlet to increase the sulfate level by 15 percent above the 300 milligrams per liter limit up to a maximum of 450 milligrams per liter; (2) to change the operating period of the outlet "to the ice free portion of the year to allow operation of the outlet earlier in the year if the ice is off the lake and river and flooding is not a concern"; and (3) to remove or revise the 100 milligrams per liter limit for TSS, because "[o]perational controls do not allow for detecting and responding to TSS fluctuations that may occur prior to realizing a limit exceedance as the TSS is determined by lab test rather than real time monitoring."

[¶ 6] After notice and a public hearing in June 2006, and an opportunity for written comments with responses, the Health Department modified the permit, effective August 17, 2006, incorporating the Water Commission's request. The Health Department adopted the chief of the Environmental Health Section's recommended findings and conclusions, which provided:

"2.0 The North Dakota Department of Health made the determination to modify the NDPDES permit based on receipt of new information. The specific conductance measurements at the Flora and Bremen gages were established during 2005. Prior to 2005, there were limited data available at the point of insertion. In the process of developing a relationship between specific conductance and sulfate concentration, it was recognized that the natural background levels for sulfate at the point of insertion were higher and more variable than known previously.

3.0 The water quality standard of 450 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in the Sheyenne River and 250 mg/L in the Red River of the North will not be exceeded as a result of the proposed permit modification.

4.0 The permit modification allows for a 15 percent increase above base conditions of sulfate in the Sheyenne River, not to exceed 450 mg/L. For example, if the sulfate concentration in the Sheyenne River upstream of the outlet were 300 mg/L, the maximum increase allowed would only be 45 mg/L above background. The natural background concentration near the point of discharge into the Sheyenne River periodically exceeds the numeric criterion for sulfate.

5.0 Andtidegradation review was not required because beneficial use of the waters is not affected by the permit modification. The permit modification will not cause the concentration of any parameter of concern, including sulfate, to be exceeded by more than 15 percent.

6.0 Extending the discharge time frame will have no significant, permanent effect on the quality and beneficial uses of the water because the permit does not allow discharge under ice conditions.

7.0 There presently are no total suspended solids (TSS) stream standards for any classes of waters in North Dakota. The control of TSS in the outlet discharge is achieved primarily through proper design, operation and maintenance. As part of operation and maintenance, the permitee will be required to implement best management practices (BMPs) to control TSS and to continue sampling for TSS at the outlet structure. BMP requirements are more appropriate than numeric limits for controlling TSS in this discharge."

The district court affirmed the Health Department's decision to modify the permit.

II

[¶ 7] In People to Save the. Sheyenne, 2005 ND 104, ¶¶ 9-11, 697 N.W.2d 319, we summarized the basic framework for issuance of a NDPDES permit:

"[The Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq., prohibits the discharge of any pollutant from a point source to surface waters except when the discharge complies with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. See 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a) and 1342. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has delegated authority to the Health Department to issue NDPDES permits as part of the Clean Water Act. See 33 U.S.C. § 1342(b). In issuing a permit, the Health Department must comply with federal law. See 33 U.S.C. § 1342(b).

"The Health Department issues NDPDES permits under the authority granted in N.D.C.C. ch. 61-28, which relates to the control, prevention, and pollution abatement of surface waters. Section 61-28-04, N.D.C.C., designates the Health Department as the state water pollution control agency and authorizes the Health Department to make rules governing the issuance, denial, modification, or revocation of permits and to hold hearings necessary for the proper administration of N.D.C.C. ch. 61-28. Section 61-28-06, N.D.C.C., prohibits the construction of an outlet for the discharge of any wastes into the waters of this state without a valid permit.

"Under the authority in N.D.C.C. ch. 61-28, the Health Department has promulgated N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33-16-01, which establishes procedures for the application for, and the issuance, denial, and modification of NDPDES permits. N.D. Admin. Code § 33-16-01-01(2). Those provisions require notice and public participation for tentative determinations and draft permits, a period for public comment, a requirement for responses to comments, the...