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850

OCTOBER TERM, 1984

Marshall, J., concurring in judgment

470 U. S.

to an agency's decision to decline to seek penalties against an individual for past conduct, not to a decision to refuse to investigate or take action on a public health, safety, or welfare problem.

II

The "tradition" of unreviewability upon which the majority relies is refuted most powerfully by a firmly entrenched body of lower court case law that holds reviewable various agency refusals to act.^[1] This case law recognizes that attempting to

↑ See, e. g., Bargmann v. Helms, 230 U. S. App. D. C. 164, 715 F. 2d 638 (1983); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. EPA, 683 F. 2d 752, 753, 767–768 (CA3 1982); WWHT, Inc. v. FCC, 211 U. S. App. D. C. 218, 656 F. 2d 807 (1981); Carpet, Linoleum & Resilient Tile Layers, Local Union No. 419 v. Brown, 656 F. 2d 564 (CA10 1981); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. SEC, 196 U. S. App. D. C. 124, 606 F. 2d 1031 (1979); British Airways Board v. Port Authority of New York, 564 F. 2d 1002, 1012–1013 (CA2 1977); Pennsylvania v. National Assn. of Flood Insurers, 520 F. 2d 11 (CA3 1975); REA Express, Inc. v. CAB, 507 F. 2d 42 (CA2 1974); Davis v. Romney, 490 F. 2d 1360 (CA3 1974); Adams v. Richardson, 156 U. S. App. D. C. 267, 480 F. 2d 1159 (1973) (en banc); International Harvester Co. v. Ruckelshaus, 155 U. S. App. D. C. 411, 478 F. 2d 615 (1973); Rockbridge v. Lincoln, 449 F. 2d 567 (CA9 1971); Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Ruckelshaus, 142 U. S. App. D. C. 74, 439 F. 2d 584 (1971); Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Hardin, 138 U. S. App. D. C. 391, 428 F. 2d 1093 (1970); Medical Committee for Human Rights v. SEC, 139 U. S. App. D. C. 226, 432 F. 2d 659 (1970), vacated as moot, 404 U. S. 403 (1972); Trailways of New England, Inc. v. CAB, 412 F. 2d 926 (CA1 1969); International Union, United Auto., Aero. & Agric. Implement Workers v. NLRB, 427 F. 2d 1330 (CA6 1970); Public Citizen Health Research Group v. Auchter, 554 F. Supp. 242 (DC 1983), rev'd in part, 226 U. S. App. D. C. 413, 702 F. 2d 1150 (1983); Sierra Club v. Gorsuch, 551 F. Supp. 785 (ND Cal. 1982); Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. v. Weinberger, 425 F. Supp. 890 (DC 1975); NAACP v. Levi, 418 F. Supp. 1109 (DC 1976); Guerrero v. Garza, 418 F. Supp. 182 (WD Wis. 1976); Souder v. Brennan, 367 F. Supp. 808, 811 (DC 1973); City-Wide Coalition Against Childhood Lead Paint Poisoning v. Philadelphia Housing Auth., 356 F. Supp. 123 (ED Pa. 1973); American Public Health Assn. v. Veneman, 349 F. Supp. 1311 (DC 1972).

To be sure, some of these cases involved the refusal to initiate rulemaking proceedings, and the majority expressly disavows any claim that

[p30-1] See, e. g., Bargmann v. Helms, 230 U. S. App. D. C. 164, 715 F. 2d 638 (1983); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. EPA, 683 F. 2d 752, 753, 767–768 (CA3 1982); WWHT, Inc. v. FCC, 211 U. S. App. D. C. 218, 656 F. 2d 807 (1981); Carpet, Linoleum & Resilient Tile Layers, Local Union No. 419 v. Brown, 656 F. 2d 564 (CA10 1981); Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. SEC, 196 U. S. App. D. C. 124, 606 F. 2d 1031 (1979); British Airways Board v. Port Authority of New York, 564 F. 2d 1002, 1012–1013 (CA2 1977); Pennsylvania v. National Assn. of Flood Insurers, 520 F. 2d 11 (CA3 1975); REA Express, Inc. v. CAB, 507 F. 2d 42 (CA2 1974); Davis v. Romney, 490 F. 2d 1360 (CA3 1974); Adams v. Richardson, 156 U. S. App. D. C. 267, 480 F. 2d 1159 (1973) (en banc); International Harvester Co. v. Ruckelshaus, 155 U. S. App. D. C. 411, 478 F. 2d 615 (1973); Rockbridge v. Lincoln, 449 F. 2d 567 (CA9 1971); Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Ruckelshaus, 142 U. S. App. D. C. 74, 439 F. 2d 584 (1971); Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v. Hardin, 138 U. S. App. D. C. 391, 428 F. 2d 1093 (1970); Medical Committee for Human Rights v. SEC, 139 U. S. App. D. C. 226, 432 F. 2d 659 (1970), vacated as moot, 404 U. S. 403 (1972); Trailways of New England, Inc. v. CAB, 412 F. 2d 926 (CA1 1969); International Union, United Auto., Aero. & Agric. Implement Workers v. NLRB, 427 F. 2d 1330 (CA6 1970); Public Citizen Health Research Group v. Auchter, 554 F. Supp. 242 (DC 1983), rev'd in part, 226 U. S. App. D. C. 413, 702 F. 2d 1150 (1983); Sierra Club v. Gorsuch, 551 F. Supp. 785 (ND Cal. 1982); Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. v. Weinberger, 425 F. Supp. 890 (DC 1975); NAACP v. Levi, 418 F. Supp. 1109 (DC 1976); Guerrero v. Garza, 418 F. Supp. 182 (WD Wis. 1976); Souder v. Brennan, 367 F. Supp. 808, 811 (DC 1973); City-Wide Coalition Against Childhood Lead Paint Poisoning v. Philadelphia Housing Auth., 356 F. Supp. 123 (ED Pa. 1973); American Public Health Assn. v. Veneman, 349 F. Supp. 1311 (DC 1972).

To be sure, some of these cases involved the refusal to initiate rulemaking proceedings, and the majority expressly disavows any claim that

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