ML19281B986

Renews Util 800312 Petition for Directed Certification of 800307 Aslab Ruling Requiring Production of Settlement Documents.Production Would Have Detrimental Effect on Negotiations.Certificate of Svc Encl

ML19281B986
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas, Comanche Peak
Issue date:	08/19/1980
From:	Ahearn C, Knotts J DEBEVOISE & LIBERMAN
To:	Moore T, Rosenthal A NRC ATOMIC SAFETY & LICENSING APPEAL PANEL (ASLAP)
References
ISSUANCES-A, NUDOCS 8008210476
Download: ML19281B986 (5)

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DEB EVOIS E & LIB ERM AN 12 00 S EVENTE E NTH STR EET, N. W.

WASHINGTO N, D. C. 2 003 6 JAMES A LaSEAMAN DONALD R. DANM N ER JOSEPM S.MOSSS FRE C ENsC m T. S E ARLS S M ARON L. STE EN _

JOS EpH S. N NOTTS, Ja. M ALCOLM M. PMIL4PS, JN-weLuam J. M ADOE N, JR. C. OENN4S AMEARN, JR TMOM AS M. DESEVOIS E JOMeep.PROCtom CouMSEL weLuAme A. nEMOE m MOSS O'oOMooMut M*N Es LL WAvn N S II J. M8CM AEL M80AR AT, 5 SANFORD L MantesAss TELEPHONE LEO 8e APO W. S ELTER weLLeAM A MORIN (202)857-9800 MICMO%AS 5. 4EYNOLDS DALE E. MOLLAa DIRECT DIAL RICM ARO C. SROWNE CM ERVL LYN es WILL8 AM S kIO }

August 19, 1980 Alan S. Rosenthal, Chairman Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Thomas S. Moore, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 RE: Renewal of Petition for Directed Certification of March 7, 1980 Licensing Board Ruling Gt:ntlemen:

In accordance with the Appeal Board's August 14, 1980 Memorandum, Texas Utilities Generating Company (TUGCO) respectfully renews its petition for " Directed Certi-fication of March 7, 1980 Licensing Board Ruling Requiring the Production of Settlement Documents," dated March 12, 1980.

In the five months which have elapsed since this matter was first brought to the attention of the Appeal Board, substantial progress has been made towards settlement of the central issues in this proceeding. However, the need to protect documents generated for and in settlement nego-tiations remains. Production of settlement documents could still have a seriously detrimental effect in both these and other proceedings before the NRC by reducing the willingness of parties to negotiate freely, which depends upon the confidentiality of their discussions and preparations for discussions being maintained.

8008210 y 7[ h

Alan S. Rosenthal, Esq.

Thomas S. Moore, Esq.

August 19, 1980 Page Two The so-called " study" documents which are at the heart of this controversy have been characterized by the NRC Staff and the Department as if they were " neutral" engineering studies that are independent of the applicants' negotiation postures. Rather, they are argumentative in a sense in that they are based on (and would reveal) assumptions which were accepted in the context of exploring trade-offs between the parties and solely for the purpose of identifying possible common ground, and do not necessarily represent what any of the parties would advocate outside the context of trying to bring an end to litigation.

Regardless of the effect upon settlement in this proceeding, the affirmance of the Licensing Board's March 7, 1980 Order would put all parties to future NRC pro-ceedings on notice that their discussions and settlement negotiations would be subject to possible future dis-closure. Given the progress which has been made, the current delicate state of the negotiations, and the fact that there is nothing peculiar about these settlement negotiations to distinguish them from others that may take place in the future, affirmance would have a " chilling effect" on the prospects for settlement negotiations in any proceeding.

For these reasons, in addition to those developed in its previously submitted papers, TUGCO respectfully requests that its petition for directed certification be granted and that the March 7, 1980 ruling of the Licensing Board be reversed.

Respectfully submitted, i

Knotts, Jr.

J Qse h B.

C. Dennis Ahearn Attorneys for Texas Utilities Generating Company

o UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMESSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING APPEAL BOARD In the Matter of:

HOUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER CO., ) Docket Nos. 50-498A

) 50-499A

_e t _al .

)

(South Texas Project, Units )

1 and 2) )

)

TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING ) Docket Nos. 50-445A COMPANY, et al. ) 50-446A

)

(Comanche Peak Steam Electric )

Station, Units 1 and 2) )

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby. certify that copies of " Letter to the Appeal Board Re. Renewal Of Petition For Directed Certification Of March 7, 1980 Licensing Board Ruling" in the above-captioned matters, were served upon the following persons by deposit in the United States mail, first class postage prepaid, and hand-delivered to those parties designated by an asterisk, this 19th day of August, 1980.

• Alan S. Rosenthal, Chaiman Marshall E. Miller, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Chairman Appeal Board Atomic Safety and Licensing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Board Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Washington, D.C. 20555 Commission

• Thomas S. Moore, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Michael L. Glaser, Esq.

Appeal Board Glaser, Fletcher & Johnson U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 1150 17th Street, N.W. Ste. 1007 Commission Washington, D.C. 20036 Washington, D.C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Sheldon J. Wolfe, Esq. ,

Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Panel Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Cc d ssion ,

Ccmmission Washington, D.C. 20555 Washington, D.C. 20555

• Chase R. Stephens Roff Hardy Docketing and Service Branch Chairman and Chief Executive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Officer Commission Central Power and Light Washington, D.C. 20555 Company P.O. Box '121 Mr. Jerome D. Saltzman Corpus Chr_sti, Texas 78403 Chief, Antitrust and Indemnity Group Mr. Perry G. Brittain NucJeur Reactor Regulation President U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Texas Utilities Generating Commission Company Washington, D.C. 20555 2001 Bryan Tower Dallas, Texas 75201 J. Irion Worsham, Esq.

Merlyn D. Sampels, Esq. R.L. Hancock, Director Spencer C. Relyea, Esq. City of Austin Electric Worsham, Forsythe & Sampels Utility 2001 Bryan Tower, Ste. 2500 P.O. Box 1086 Dallas, Texas 75201 Austin, Texas 78767 Jon C. Wood, Esq. G.W. Oprea, Jr.

W. Roger Wilson, Esq. Executive Vice President Matthews, Nowlin, Macfarlane & Houston Lighting & Power Barrett Company 1500 Alamo National Building P.O. Box 1700 San Antonio, Texas 78205 Houston, Texas 77001 Dick Terrell Brown, Esq.

• Robert Fabrikant, Esq.

800 Milam Building Rangeley Wallace, Esq.

78205 San Antonio, Texas David A. Dopsovic, Esq.

Frederick H. Parmenter, Esq.

Charles G. Thrash, Jr., Esq. Nancy Luque, Esc.

E.W. Barnett, Esq. Kenneth M. Glazier, Esq.

Theodore F. Weiss, Esq. U.S. Department of Justice J. Gregory Copeland, Esq. Antitrust Division Baker & Botts P.O. Box 14141 3000 One Shell Plaza Washington, D.C. 20044 Houston, Texas 77002 Don R. Butler, Esq.

Steven R. Hunsicker, Esq. 211 East Seventh Street R.Gordon Gooch, Esq. Austin, Texas 78701 John P. Mathis, Esq.

Baker & Botts Jerry L. Harris, Esq.

1701 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Richard C. Balough, Esq.

Washington, D.C. 20006 City of Austin P.O. Box 1088

• Fredric D. Chanania, Esq. Austin, Texas 78767 Michael B. Blume, Esq Stephen H. Lewis, Esq. J.K. Spruce, General Manager Ann P. Hodgdon, Esq. City Public Service Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory P.O. Box 1771 Commission San Antonio, Texas 78296 Washington, D.C. 20555

4

• Robert Lowenstein, Esq. George Spiegel, Esq.

J.A. Bouknight, Jr., Esq. Robert C. McDiarmid, Esq.

William J. Franklin, Esq. Robert Jablon, Esq.

Douglas G. Green, Esq. Marc Poirier, Esq.

Lowenstein, Newman, Reis, Spiegel & McDiarmid Axelrad & Toll 2600 Virginia Ave., N.W. Ste. 312 1025 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 Washington, D.C. 20036 W.N. Woolsey, Esq.

John W. Davidson, Esq. Dyer and Redford Sawtelle, Goode, Davidson & 1030 Petroleum Tower Tioilo Corpus Christi, Texas 78747 1100 San Antonio Savings Bldg.

San Antonio, Texas 78204 Donald M. Clements Gulf States Utilities Company Douglas F. John, Esq. Post Office Box 2951 McDermott, Will and Emery Beaumont, Texas 77704 1101 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Suite 1201 Marc J. Wetterhahn, Esq.

Washington, D.C. 20036 Robert M. Rader, Esq.

Conner & Moore Bill D. St. Clair, Esq. 1747 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Morgan Hunter, Esq. Washington ,D.C. 20006 McGinnis, Lockridge &

Kilgore Mr. William C. Price Fifth Floor Texas State Bank Central Power & Light Co.

Bldg. P.O. Box 2121 900 Congress Avenue Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 Austin, Texas 78701 Mr. G. Holman King

• David M. Stahl, Esq.

West Texas Utilities Co.

1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W. P.O. Box 841 Suite 325 Abilene, Texas 78604 Washington, D.C. 20036 Kevin B. Pratt, Esq.

Sara Welling, Esq. Attorney General's Office Michael I. Miller, Esq. State of Texas James A. Carney, Esq. P.O. Box 12548 Isham, Lincoln & Beale Austin, Texas 78711 One First National Plaza Suite 4200 Frederick H. Ritts, Esq.

Chicago, Illinois 60603 William H. Burchette, Esq.

Northcutt Ely Don H. Davidson Watergate 600 Building City Manager Washington, D.C. 20037 City of Austin P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767

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r W.S. Robson C. Dennis Ahearn General Manager South Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.

P.O. Box 151 Nursery', Texas 77976