Laserfiche WebLink
613 Corp., 210 N.J.Super. at 503, 510 A.2d at 112; see also Crema, 94 N.J. at 302, 463 A.2d <br /> at 918. <br /> The fact that the appellants in this case had an opportunity to present their views before <br /> the circuit court at trial is clearly not an adequate substitute for the rulemaking process <br /> required under HRS § 342B-32. The appellants comprise a small portion of the public. <br /> Others may have been interested in providing input in the matter but may not have been <br /> able to intervene in this lawsuit due to a lack of notice or resources. Moreover, fairness to <br /> the public and potential applicants for air pollution permits dictates that the rules adopted <br /> by DOH be known beforehand. This will enable one to plan and make decisions with <br /> certainty. <br /> The circuit court in this case, sitting as the trier of fact, listened to the litigants' evidence of <br /> what effect various amounts of H2S would have on air quality. It then determined that the <br /> amounts established by the conditional permit issued to True were sufficiently protective of <br /> the environment. In doing this, the trial judge imposed his personal standards of what the <br /> air quality should be. See White v. Roughton, 53o F.2d 750, 754 (7th Cir.1976). This is not <br /> the role of the trial court. <br /> *805 III. <br /> This case was initiated by public activists; therefore, the focus is on the lack of input by the <br /> general public in a matter of public concern. However, the unbridled discretion exhibited <br /> by DOH also raises the issue of fairness and possibly constitutional due process rights with <br /> regard to future applicants for air pollution permits regarding H2S emission into the air. <br /> Future applicants will have no official source to turn to for guidance. There will be no <br /> avenue to predict DOH's actions in permit application procedures. Without established <br /> written standards by rules, no one can know whether permit applications will be reviewed <br /> fairly and consistently and whether considerations to grant or deny a permit will serve the <br /> purpose of the statute or are unlawful (e.g., bribes, race discrimination). See 613 Corp., 210 <br /> N.J.Super. at 503, 510 A.2d at 112; Crema, 94 N.J. at 301-02, 463 A.2d at 918; White v. <br /> Roughton, 53o F.2d at 753-54; Gonzalez v. Freeman, 334 F.2d 570, 578 (D.C.Cir.1964). <br /> There will be no public confidence in such a system. "Such a system breeds suspicion and <br /> fosters contempt and corruption." 613 Corp., 210 N.J.Super. at 503, 510 A.2d at 113.As the <br /> U.S. Supreme Court recognized: <br /> "[W]here ... there are no standards governing the exercise of discretion granted... the <br /> scheme permits and encourages an arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement of the law." <br /> APPELLANT EXHIBIT 20, pg. 4 of 6 <br />