City waste haulers not in interstate commerce

Plaintiffs, “waste haulers that operate throughout the City of San Antonio and its surrounding counties,” claimed that a fee imposed by San Antonio for a waste collection permit violated the Commerce Clause.  Cibolo Waste, Inc. v. City of San Antonio, No. 12-50153 (May 15, 2013).  Examining their standing, the Fifth Circuit found that they showed an injury-in-fact because the fee increased their cost of doing business.  The plaintiffs, could not, however, show that they fell within zone of interest protected by the dormant Commerce Clause, since “[t]heir business is purely intrastate,” and “the only parties that have standing to bring a dormant Commerce Clause challenge are those who both engage in interstate commerce and can show that the ordinance at issue has adversely affected their commerce.”