ML071760162

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3/20/2007 - Respondents' Second Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time Between San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Petitioners, V. USNRC, Respondents and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Intervenor; No. 03-74628
ML071760162
Person / Time
Site: Diablo Canyon  Pacific Gas & Electric icon.png
Issue date: 03/20/2007
From: Mullins C
NRC/OGC
To:
US Federal Judiciary, Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
Mullins C
References
03-74628
Download: ML071760162 (6)


Text

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT SAN LUIS OBISPO MOTHERS FOR PEACE, et al., )

Petitioners, )

V.) No. 03-74628 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION )

and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )

Respondents, and )

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, )

Intervenor. )

UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO RESPOND TO PETITIONERS' MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES UNDER THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT Pursuant to Rule 27 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and Ninth Circuit Rule 27-1, the Federal Respondents move for an extension of time from April 2, 2007, until April 17, 2006, to file their Response to Petitioners' "Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs Pursuant to Equal Access to Justice Act," served on February 14, 2007. The reasons for this request are set forth in the attached Declaration of Counsel. Counsel for Petitioners, Ms. Diane Curran, has graciously consented to the granting of this Motion.

sctfu submittd CHARLES. MULLINS Senior Attorney U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (301) 415-1618 Dated: March 20, 2007

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT SAN LUIS OBISPO MOTHERS FOR PEACE, et al., )

Petitioners, )

v. ) No. 03-74628 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION )

and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )

Respondents, and )

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, )

Intervenor. )

I DECLARATION OF CHARLES E. MULLINS I, CHARLES E. MULLINS, a senior attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, hereby verify and affirm as follows:

1. Petitioners' served their Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs Under the Equal Access to Justice Act ("EAJA") on the Federal Respondents on February 14, 2007.
2. Under Rule 27 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and Ninth Circuit Rule 39-1.7, the Federal Respondents' Objection to the Petitioners' Motion was initially due on or before March 2, 2007.
3. By Order filed March 1, 2007, this Court granted Respondents' first Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time, which extended the filing deadline to April 2, 2007.
3. The Petitioners' motion seeks attorneys' fees and costs of

$162,572.78 and seeks reimbursement at an hourly rate above the statutory cap.

The Federal Respondents will need substantial time to review and analyze this request before responding to it.

4. In addition, the Federal Respondents are preparing a formal request to have this case assigned to the Office of the Chief Mediator for the Ninth Circuit for the Mediator's assistance in negotiating an agreement between the parties on the fee question.
5. The undersigned is lead counsel for this case, and is also lead counsel in other litigation for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (which has independent litigating authority under 28 U.S.C. § 2341, et seq.), including State of New Jersey v. NRC, No. 06-5140 (3d Cir.), State of New Jersey v. NRC, No. 07-1559 (3d Cir.), State of New Jersey v. NRC, No. 07-1756 (3d Cir.), and Eastern Navajo Dine' Against Uranium Mining v. NRC, NO. 07-9505 (10th Cir.).
6. The undersigned also is assigned a full schedule of administrative assignments within the Office of the General Counsel, including review of administrative subpoenas, review of responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, and review of - and responses to - proposed legislation.
7. In addition, the undersigned is also completing a detail at the U.S.

Department of Justice, where he is lead counsel for the Federal government in

United States v. Able Time, Inc., No. 06-56033 (9th Cir.) (Reply Brief due March 28, 2007), which involves complex and novel issues of Customs law.

8. Given the press of litigation and normal assignments within the Office of the General Counsel and the Department of Justice, the undersigned has not been able to research and prepare the Federal Respondents' Response to the Petitioners' Motion for Fees under the EAJA.
9. Ms. Diane Curran, lead counsel for the Petitioners, has graciously consented to the granting of this Motion.

10.. For the foregoing reasons, an extension, to and including April 17, 2007, is needed to prepare the response of the Federal Respondents to the Petitioner's Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs Under the Equal Access to Justice Act, or have the case referred to the Office of the Chief Mediator..

I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my ability. See 28 U.S.C. § 1746.

Res ct y submitted, J CHARLES E',. MtLLINS Senior Attorney Office of the General Counsel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (301) 415-1618 Executed on March 20, 2007.

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on March 20, 2007, copies of Federal Respondents' Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time to Respond to Petitioners' Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs Under the Equal Access to Justice Act, were filed and served by Federal Express, overnight delivery, postage prepaid, upon this Court and the following counsel:

Diane Curran, Esq.

Harman, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, L.L.P.

1726 M Street N.W., Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20036 David A. Repka, Esq.

Winston & Strawn, L.L.P.

1400 L. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005-3502 Kathryn Kovacs, Esq.

Appellate Section Environment and Natural Resources Division U.S. Department of Justice P.O. Box 23795, L'Enfant Plaza Station Washington, D 20026 Charles . Mullins Senior Attorney U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Lead Counsel for Federal Respondents Dated: March 20, 2007.