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SHALE INSIGHT™ 2016 | SEPTEMBER 21-22, 2016 CELDF THE RIGHT TO LOCAL-SELF GOVERNMENT Kevin J. Moody, General Counsel & VP Govt Affairs
Transcript
Page 1: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

SHALEINSIGHT™2016|SEPTEMBER21-22,2016

CELDFTHERIGHTTOLOCAL-SELF

GOVERNMENT

KevinJ.Moody,GeneralCounsel&VPGovtAffairs

Page 2: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

WhatisCELDF?CommunityEnvironmentalLegalDefenseFund─www.celdf.org

Formedin1995,basedinMercersburg,PA

Mission Statement

To attain sustainability, a right to local self-government must be asserted that places decisions affecting communities in the hands of those closest to the impacts. That right to local self-government must enable communities to reject unsustainable economic and environmental policies set by state and federal governments, and must enable communities to construct legal frameworks for charting a future towards sustainable energy production, sustainable land development, and sustainable water use, among others. In doing so, communities must challenge and overturn legal doctrines that have been concocted to eliminate their right to self-government, including the doctrines of corporate constitutional rights, preemption, and limitations on local legislative authority. Inseparable from the right to local self government - and its sole limitation - are the rights of human and natural communities; they are the implicit and enumerated premises on which local self government must be built.

Page 3: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFMissionHowdoesCELDFdothis?Ordinances,HRCs&BallotQs

•  Rejectanylocal,stateorfederallawsinconflictwithdeclaredrighttolocalself-government

•  StripcorporaZonsthatviolate–ormerely“seek”toviolate–theordinance/HRCofallrights,privileges,powers,andprotecZonsgrantedto“persons”understateandfederalconsZtuZons

•  Stripped“rights,privileges,powers,andprotecZons”includeasserZngstateorfederalpreempZvelawstooverturnordinance/HRCandasserZngpeoplelackpowertoadopt

•  Bestowrightsas“persons”on“naturalcommuniZesandecosystems”andauthorizesanyresidentorthemunicipalitytoenforceordefendtheserightsonbehalfoftheecosystemornaturalcommunity

Page 4: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFMissionWheredoesCELDFdothis?

•  “Over200communiZesacrosstheU.S.”California,Colorado,Hawaii,Illinois,Maine,Maryland,Massachusecs,NewHampshire,NewMexico,NewYork,Ohio,Oregon,Pennsylvania,

Texas,Washington

PicsburghNovember2010─“first-in-the-naZonordinance”StateCollegeNovember2011─criminalizesextracZonofnaturalgas

•  InternaZonalColombia,Ecuador,India,Ireland

Page 5: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFTargetsNotLimitedtoExtractiveIndustries

ThecommunityrightsmovementisnotprimarilyaboutsolvingsingleissueassaultsonourcommuniZes,anditisnotatalllimitedtoenvironmentalissues.Itisaboutrecognizingandchangingthelegalandgoverningsystemthatallowsstatesandthefederalgovernmenttolicenseandpermitharmsagainstindividuals,communiZesandnature.ItisaboutremovingtheobstaclesthatlegalizetheviolaZonofinalienablerightsintheplaceswelive.

h2p://celdf.org/rights/issues/

•  Chemicaltrespass─pesZcidesandindustrialwastedisposal•  Retailchainstores─underpaywages,benefits;producZonoverseas;

disruptlocaleconomies;harmfarmlandandnature•  UnsustainableAgriculture─industrialanimal&foodproducZon;

monoculturefarming;80-90%ofUSwateruse

Page 6: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFTargetsNotLimitedtoExtractiveIndustries

•  Waterpriva?za?on─privateprofitinindustrialacZviZes;bocledandsoldbacktothepublic

•  SewageSludge─ferZlizerusecheaperthanlandfills&incineraZon

•  UnsustainableEnergy–“green”and“renewable”energy(hydropower,industrialwindfarms,solarpower,nuclearpower);transmissiontowers;energytransportaZoncorridors;coaltrains;exportterminals

•  GMOs–GeneZcallyModifiedOrganismsforplantagriculture

•  Forestry/Timbering

Page 7: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

EssenceofCELDFRighttoLocalSelf-Government

•  RightisSuperiortoPowerofStateandFederalgovernments

CELDFarguesthat“peoplearethesourceofallpower,andcommuniZespossessaninalienablerighttogovern...[which]cannotbedelegated,limited,ormadesubservienttoanyotherpower.Thepoweroflocalself-governmentisexemptfrom,andhencesuperiorto,thegeneralgovernmentofthestate.”Com.v.EastBrunswickTownshipetal.,956A.2d1100,1107(Pa.Cmwlth.2008)

Page 8: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

EssenceofCELDFRighttoLocalSelf-Government

“OnCommunityCivilDisobedienceintheNameofSustainability:TheCommunityRightsMovementintheUS”(Campbell&Linzey,2015),CELDFfounderThomas

Linzey:•  Municipallawsmustbeestablishedthat“challengethe

exisZngconsZtuZonalstructurebycreaZnganenZrelynewone.”

•  “OverturninglegaldoctrinesthatsupportcurrentinjusZcerequiresfrontalanddirectbreakingofexisZnglaws.”

•  Theseeffortswillresultin“thousandsofmunicipalconsZtuZons”thatwillserveas“atemplatefornewstateandfederalconsZtuZonalstructures.”

Page 9: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

EssenceofCELDFRighttoLocalSelf-Government

Sen.JubelirerstatementinsupportofACRE(Agriculture,Communi?esandRuralEnvironment,Act38of20052005LegislaZveJournal—Senate,p.633(July4,2005)

AttheheartofthelocalordinancemovementisthenoZonthatthereistherighttorejectanything,anywhere,foranyreason,atany?me.ThatisarightthatexistsonlyintheimaginaZonofthemindsbehindwhatisreallyananZ-agriculturepush....Localgovernmentsshouldanddopossesspowersforseunglimitsandestablishingstandardsforvariouskindsofdevelopment,buttoacempttodictatewhomayormaynotownvariousenterprises,ortodictatewhatsortsofcontractualrelaZonshipsmayexist,isalevelofinterferencethatknowsnoendandhasnohealthyoutcome.

...IdonotdiscountthedifficulZesfacinglocalofficialscaughtintheclashespiunghomeownersagainstmodernagriculturalpracZces,butitiswrongwhengroupscontendthatthereisnocontrol,nolimit,noprotec?onunlessweletlocalofficialswriteanyrestric?ontheywant.

Page 10: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFRecognizesLackofLegalBasisforAssertedRight

CELDFvideo“SoYourCommunityisGoingtobeFracked,Mined,FactoryFarmed,orfillintheblank….”

hcp://celdf.org/2014/09/so-your-community-is-going-to-be-fracked-mined-factory-farmed-or-fill-in-the-blank/

•  Admitsordinancesarecontrarytostateandfederallaw

•  Askswhetherordinanceproponentscanputsufficientpressureonlocalofficialstoadoptsomethingthatiscontrarytostatelaw

•  AdmitsstateandfederalconsZtuZonsmustbechangedtoauthorizerighttolocalself-government

•  HasassistedinpreparingconsZtuZonalamendmentsforintroducZoninfourstates

Page 11: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

CELDFRecognizesLackofLegalBasisforAssertedRight

ThomasLinzeyresponsetoJanuary2015federalcourtrejec?onofMoraCounty,NewMexicoordinance

•  “Withthisdecision,theCourtaffirmswhatourcommuniZesalreadyknow,thattheexis?ngstructureoflawdenieslocal,democra?cself-governance.”

Standardordinanceprovisions•  ”UseofthecourtsorthePennsylvanialegislatureinacemptsto

overturntheprovisionsofthisOrdinanceshallrequirecommunitymeeZngsfocusedonchangestolocalgovernancethatwouldsecuretherightofthepeopletolocalself-government.”GrantTwp,IndianaCountyOrdinance,Sec6on7.

•  ”ThroughtheadopZonofthisOrdinance,thepeopleofGrantTownshipcallforamendmentofthePennsylvaniaCons?tu?onandthefederalCons?tu?ontorecognizearighttolocalself-governmentfreefromgovernmentalpreempZonandornullificaZonbycorporate‘rights.’”GrantTwp,IndianaCountyOrdinance,Sec6on8.

Page 12: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

UnitedStatesDemocracyorRepublic?

CELDFDemocracySchool

•  Democracy–Greek“demos”and“kratein”meaning“thepeopletorule”–majorityrule

•  Republic–LaZn“respublica”meaning“thepublicthing(s)”or“thelaw(s)”–theruleoflaw–  “Arepublic,ifyoucankeepit.”BenjaminFranklin,ConsZtuZonalConvenZon

of1787–  USConsZtuZonArt.IVguaranteeseveryState“aRepublicanformof

Government”

•  JohnAdams–  “Democracyneverlastslong.”–  “Itsoonwastes,exhaustsandmurdersitself.”–  “Therewasneverademocracythatdidnotcommitsuicide.”

•  GeorgeWashington–  Dedicatedto“thepreserva6on...oftherepublicanmodelofgovernment.”

Page 13: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

USConstitutionViolations

•  SupremacyClause

•  EqualProtecZonClause

•  ContractsClause

•  FirstAmendmentPeZZonClause

•  Fiyh&FourteenthAmendments

–  SubstanZveandProceduralDueProcess

Page 14: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitution

•  Ar?cleI,§2.Poli?calpowers.Allpowerisinherentinthepeople,andallfreegovernmentsarefoundedontheirauthorityandinsZtutedfortheirpeace,safetyandhappiness.Fortheadvancementoftheseendstheyhaveatall?mesaninalienableandindefeasiblerighttoalter,reformorabolishtheirgovernmentinsuchmannerastheymaythinkproper.

•  Ar?cleI,§20.Rightofpe??on.TheciZzenshavearightinapeaceablemannertoassembletogetherfortheircommongood,andtoapplytothoseinvestedwiththepowersofgovernmentforredressofgrievancesorotherproperpurposes,bypeZZon,addressorremonstrance.

Page 15: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitution

•  Ar?cleI,§25.Reserva?onofpowersinpeople.Toguardagainsttransgressionsofthehighpowerswhichwehavedelegated,wedeclarethateverythinginthisar?cleisexceptedoutofthegeneralpowersofgovernmentandshallforeverremaininviolate.

•  Ar?cleI,§26.Nodiscrimina?onbyCommonwealthanditspoli?calsubdivisions.

NeithertheCommonwealthnoranypoli?calsubdivisionthereofshalldenytoanypersontheenjoymentofanycivilright,nordiscriminateagainstanypersonintheexerciseofanycivilright.

Page 16: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitution

•  Ar?cleIX,§1.Localgovernment.TheGeneralAssemblyshallprovidebygenerallawforlocalgovernmentwithintheCommonwealth.Suchgenerallawshallbeuniformastoallclassesoflocalgovernmentregardingproceduralmacers.

•  Ar?cleIX,§2.HomeRule.MunicipaliZesshallhavetherightandpowertoframeandadopthomerulecharters.AdopZon,amendmentorrepealofahomerulechartershallbebyreferendum.TheGeneralAssemblyshallprovidetheprocedurebywhichahomerulechartermaybeframedanditsadopZon,amendmentorrepealpresentedtotheelectors.IftheGeneralAssemblydoesnotsoprovide,ahomerulecharteroraprocedureforframingandpresenZngahomerulechartermaybepresentedtotheelectorsbyiniZaZveorbythegoverningbodyofthemunicipality.Amunicipalitywhichhasahomerulechartermayexerciseanypowerorperformanyfunc?onnotdeniedbythisCons?tu?on,byitshomerulecharterorbytheGeneralAssemblyatany?me.

Page 17: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitutionandImplementingLegislation

•  Ar?cleIX,§2.HomeRule.GrantofhomerulepowertomunicipaliZes,notthepeople

“Cons?tu?onreservedtothestatelegislaturethepowertoimposerestricZons,limitaZonsandregulaZonsonthegrantofhomerule....”Caliv.Philadelphia,177A.2d824(Pa.1962).

•  HomeRuleCharterandOp?onalPlansLaw53Pa.C.S.§§2901–3171

Nopowerscontrarytoorenlargingstatutorypowers

Can’tchangestatutesofgeneralapplicaZon

PreempZonprinciplesapply–ActofGeneralAssemblyprevailsovercountyordinance.Frossv.CountyofAllegheny,20A.3d1193(Pa.2011)“WhatwasgrantedtoPhiladelphiawasarestrictedrightorpoweroflocalself-government.”PhiladelphiaFacili6esManagementCorpora6onv.Biester,431A.2d1123,1134(Pa.Cmwlth.1981).

Page 18: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitution

•  Ar?cleVI,§3.OathofOffice.Senators,RepresentaZvesandalljudicial,Stateandcountyofficers

shall,beforeenteringontheduZesoftheirrespecZveoffices,takeandsubscribethefollowingoathoraffirmaZonbeforeapersonauthorizedtoadministeroaths.

“Idosolemnlyswear(oraffirm)thatIwillsupport,obeyanddefendtheConsZtuZonoftheUnitedStatesandtheConsZtuZonofthisCommonwealthandthatIwilldischargetheduZesofmyofficewithfidelity.”

....AnypersonrefusingtotaketheoathoraffirmaZonshallforfeithis

office.

Page 19: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PAConstitution

•  Driscollv.Corbe2,69A.3d197,207-09(Pa.2013)ArZcleI,§2grantsthepeopletheauthoritytoamendtheirstateconsZtuZonastheydeemfit,solongastheydonotviolatetheUnitedStatesconsZtuZon.

•  Wellsv.Bain,75Pa.39(Pa.1873)“Thewords‘insuchmannerastheymaythinkproper,’...embracebutthreeknownrecognisedmodesbywhichthewholepeople,thestate,cangivetheirconsenttoanalteraZonofanexisZnglawfulframeofgovernment,viz.:

ThemodeprovidedintheexisZngconsZtuZon.Alaw,astheinstrumentalprocessofraisingthebodyforrevisionandconveyingtoitthepowersofthepeople.ArevoluZon.”

”Aswiththemovementsthatwentbeforeus,wemustbecomerevolu?onaries,notreformers.”CELDFfounderThomasLinzey

Page 20: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

GrantTownship,IndianaCounty,PAfederalcourtlitigation

•  PIOGAmemberPGE,Inc.undergroundinjec?onwell■ PGEAmendedComplaintfiledSeptember2014■ PGEJudgmentonthePleadingsgrantedOct14,2015onstatelawgrounds■ Twp/CELDFJudgmentonthePleadingsdeniedOct14,2015

“Defendanthasprovidednolegalprecedent[foritsassertedright].WithoutalegalbasisforitsacZons,asopposedtohistoricaldocumentsandevents,thisCourtcannotprovidethereliefGrantTownshipseeks.”

■ PGE,PIOGAandTwp/CELDFMoZonsforSummaryJudgmentpendingsinceJanuary2016

PGE–USConsZtuZonPIOGA–PAConsZtuZonTwp/CELDF–inheritandinalienablerighttolocalself-government

Page 21: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

GrantTownship,IndianaCounty,PAfederalcourtlitigation

•  PIOGAmemberPGE,Inc.undergroundinjec?onwell■ LicleMahoningWatershedandEastRunHellbendersSociety,Inc.

intervenZonsdeniedOct14,2015■ Ecosystem/HellbendersappealdeniedJuly27,2016

2“WewillrefertotheAppellantsinthepluralthroughoutthisopinion,butweare,atbest,dubitante,becausewearenotconvincedthattheLicleMahoningWatershedisaproperpartyunderFed.R.Civ.P.17.”[musthavecapacitytosueorbesued]“dubitante”:doubZng—usedofajudgewhoexpressesdoubtaboutadecisionreachedbythecourt(Merriam-Webster)

■ Ecosystem/HellbenderspeZZonforrehearingbytheThirdCircuitpanelandthecourtenbancdeniedAugust22,2016

Page 22: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

PuttingCommunitiesatRisk

•  LiZgaZondamages&acorneys’fees/42U.S.C.§1983•  NomunicipalityinsurancecoverageforillegalacZviZes•  Municipalbankruptcy

“Andifatowngoesbankrupttryingtodefendoneofourordinances,well,perhapsthat’sexactlywhatisneededtotriggeranaZonalmovement.”CELDFfounderThomasLinzeyinReuters

•  Criminalliability–18Pa.C.S.§5301.Officialoppression.•  Impeachmentformisbehaviorwhileinoffice–PAConsZtuZon

ArZcleVI,§§4-7ViolaZonofoathofoffice

Page 23: CELDF - Natural Gas Now · 2016-09-23 · “On Community Civil Disobedience in the Name of Sustainability: The Community Rights Movement in the US” (Campbell & Linzey, 2015), CELDF

AdditionalInformation

•  JackieStewart~EnergyInDepthhcps://www.energyindepth.org/?s=celdf

•  TomShepstone~NaturalGasNOWhcp://naturalgasnow.org/

•  JimWillis~MarcellusDrillingNews-#208hcp://marcellusdrilling.com/


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