ML19309G592

Response by Public Utils Board of City of Brownsville,Tx to Houston Lighting & Power 800403 Motion to Compel Production of Documents & JW Wilson Deposition Testimony.Motion May Be Granted If Subj to Protective Order.W/Certificate of Svc

ML19309G592
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas, Comanche Peak
Issue date:	04/09/1980
From:	Poirier M SPIEGEL & MCDIARMID, TEXAS, STATE OF
To:	Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
NUDOCS 8005070191
Download: ML19309G592 (7)

Text

-. . . . ...- - . . - - .

S005070

/9/

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO., et al., ) NRC Docket Nos. 50-498A

) 50-499A (South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2) )

)

)

)

TEXAS UPILITIES GENERATING CO. , et al., ) NRC Docke t Nos. 50-445A

) 50-446A (Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station, )

Units 1 & 2) )

RESPONSE TO MOTION TO COMPEL OF HOUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER COMPANY AND MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER BY THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD OF THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS The Public Utilities Board of the City of Brownsville, Texas ("Brownsville") hereby responds to the Motion to Compel Production of Documents and Deposition Testimony by the Public Utilities Board of the City of Brownsville, Texas, and its Expert Witness, Dr. John W. Wilson, filed April 3, 1980,

~

by Houston Lighting and Power Company ("HL&P") .

The Motion arose because counsel for Brownsville instructed its potential expert economic witness for antitrust issues, Dr. John W. Wilson, during his deposition on March 24-26, 1980, not to answer questions about his work on pending District Court and N.R.C. litigation on behalf of certain Florida Cities.1/

1/ The City of Gainesville, the Lake Worth Utilities Authority, the Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach, the Sebring Utilities Commission, and the Cities of ,

Alachua, Bartow, Ft. Meade , Homestead , Key West, Kissimmee, Lake Helen, Mt. Dora, Newberry, St. Cloud, Starke, and Tallahassee, Florida.

FOOTNOTE CONTINUTED ON NEXT PAGE

Dr. Wilson is a potential expert witness in that proceeding ; counsel for HL&P (Lowenstein, Newman, Reis, Axelrad & Toll) represent the defendant (Florida Power &

Light) in that proceeding, and counsel for Brownsville represent the plaintif fs in that proceeding. Discovery of Dr. Wilson's work in that proceeding has not yet been sought, pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Brownsville does not concede that HL&P is entitled, as a matter of law and of the principles applied by the Licensing Board in this proceeding, to discover Dr. Wilson's current work related to the Florida litiga tio n.1/

FOOTNOTE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The civil suit is The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority of the City of Fort Pierce, et al. v. Florida Power & Light Company, Civil Action No. 79-5101 - Civ JLK (S.D. Fla.). The N.R.C. litigation is Florida Power and Light Co. (St. Lucie Plant, Unit No. 2), NRC ,

Docket No. 50-389A.  ;

1 1 The Board recently ordered (March 31, 1980) protec- l tion of an analysis prepared by Dr. Le rner , the NRC 's expert economic witness , in connection with Consumers Power (Midland Plant, Units 1 & 2), NRC Docke t Nos. 50-329A, 50-330A. Although the basis of the privi-lege of Dr. Lerner's analysis in Midland was settlement rather than attorney-client or work product, Dr . Wilson's work in the Florida case should be entitled to similar protection against discovery at this time.

Moreover, HL&P has not shown any compelling need for this information about Dr. Wilson's work (as opposed to his theory about the existence of nuclear power markets) that would counterbalance the legitimate interest of the Florida Cities in protection of work product and, to the

, extent applicable,_ attorney-client privilege. l i  !

1 l

L.

For the above reasons, the Public Utilities Board of the City of Brownsville, Texas, requests the Board to grant HL&P's Motion to Compel only upon the issuance of a protective order in the form submitted by certain Florida Cities.

Respectfully submitted, Gj l*& &  %

i Marc R. Poirier Attorney for the Public il Utilities Board of the City of Brownsville, Texas Law offices of:

Spiegel & McDiarmid 2600 Virginia Avenue , N.W.

Suite 312 Wa shing to n, D.C. 20037 April 9, 1980

~

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of )

)

HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER ) Docke t Nos . 50-498A COMPANY, et al.

~

) 50-499A

)

(South Texas Project, Units )

1 and 2) )

)

TEXAS UPILITIES 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 I have caused copies of the foregoing RESPONSE TO MOTION TO COMPEL OF HOUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER COMPANY AND MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER BY THE PUBLIC UPILITIES BOARD OF THE CITY OF BRCWNSVILLE, TEXAS to be made on the following parties listed hereto this 10th day of April 1980, by depositing copies thereof in the United States mail, first class, postage paid.

Marshall E. Miller, Chairman Sheldon J. Wolfe, Esquire Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Panel Panel Nuclear Regulat )ry Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washing to n, D. C. 20555 Wa shing to n, D. C. 20555 Michael L. Glaser, Esquire Joseph Rutberg, Esquire 1150 17th Street, N. W. Antitrust Counsel Wa shing to n, D. C. 20036 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washing ton, D. C. 20555 Fredric D. Chanania, Esquire Michael B. Blume, Esquire R. Gordon Gooch, Esquire Ann Hodgdon, Esquire John P. Mathis, Esquire Nuclear Regulatory Commission Baker & Botts Washing to n, D. C. 20555 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Wa shing to n, D. C. 20006 Jerome E. Sharfman, Esquire U.S. Nuclear Reglatory Commission Wa shing to n, D.C. 20555  ;

(

l i

l l

l

Jerome Saltzman, ^ tef Robert Lowenstein, Esquire Antitrust & Inde etty Group J. A. Bouknight , Jr., Esquire Nuclear Regulatory Commission William J. Franklin, Esquire Wa shing to n, D. C. 20555 Lowe ns te in , Ne wman , Re is ,

Axelrad & Toll Chase R. St- n.ns, Chief 1025 Connecticut Avnue , N. W.

Docke ting & Service Section Washing to n, D. C. 20036 Office of the Secretary Nuclear Regulatory Commission Frederick H. Ritts, Esquire Wa shing to n, D. C. 20555 Law Offices of Northcutt Ely Watergate 600 Building David M. Stahl, Esquire Washing to n, D. C. 20037 Sarah F. Holzsweig, Esquire Isham, Lincoln & Beale Rober t O'Ne il , Esquire 1120 Connecticut Avenue , N.W. Wheatley & Wolleson Suite 325 1112 Watergate Of fice Building Wa shing to n, D.C. 20036 2600 Virginia Avenue , N. W.

Wa shing to n, D. C. 20037 Susan B. Cyphe r t , Esquire Robert Fabricant, Esquire Rof f Hardy, Chairman and Kenneth M. Glazier Chief Executive Officer Antitrust Division Central Power & Light Company Department of Justice P. O. Box 2121 P. O. Box 14141 Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 Wa shing to n, D.C. 20444 G. K. Spruce, General Manager Joseph Knotts, Esquire City Public Service Board Nicholas S. Reynold s , Esquire P. O. Box 1771 Debevoise & Liberman San Antonio , Texas 78201 1200 17th Street, N. W.

Wa sh ing to n , D. C. 20036 Jon C. Wood , Esquire W. Roger Wilson, Esquire Douglas F. .Toh n , Esquire Matthews, Nowlin, Macfarlane McDermott, Will & Emery & Barrett 1101 Connecticut Avenue , N.W. 1500 Alamo National Building Suite 1201 San Antonio, Texas 78205 Wa shing to n, D.C. 20036 Perry G. Brittain, President Joseph I. Worsham, Esquire Texas Utilities Generating Co.

Merlyn D. Sampels, Esquire 2001 Bryan Tower Spencer C. Relyea, Esquire Dallas, Texas 75201 Worsham, Forsythe & Sampels 2001 Bryan Tower Robert C. McDiarmid , Esquire Suite 2500 Robert A. Jablon, Esquire Dallas, Texas 75201 Spiegel & McDiarmid 2600 Virginia Avenue N.W.

Wa shing to n, D.C. 20037

R. L. Hancock, Director G. W. Oprea, Jr.

City of Austin Electric Utility Executive Vice President Department Houston Lighting & Power Co.

P. O. Box 1088 P. O. Box 1700 Austin, Texas 78767 Houston, Texas 77001 Jerry L. Harris, Esquire W. S. Robson, General Manager Richard C. Balough, Esquire South Texas Electric Coop. , Inc.

City of Austin Route 6, Building 102 P. O. Box 1088 Victoria Regional Airport Austin, Texas 78767 Victoria , Texas 77901 Dan H. Davidso n Michael I. Miller, Esquire City Manager Isham, Lincoln & Beale City of Austin One First National Plaza P. O. Box 1088 Chicago, Illinois 60603 Austin, Tev's 78767 Donald Clements, Esquire Don R. lutler, Esq. Gulf States Utilities Co.

Sneed, line, Wilkerson, Selman P. O. Box 2951

& Per ry Beaumont, Texas 77074 P. O. Flox 1409 Austin , Texas 78767 Knoland J. Plucknett Executive Director Morgsn Hunter, Esquire Committee on Power for the McGinnis, Inchridge & Kilgore Southwest, Inc.

900 Congress Avenue 5541 Skelly Drive Austin, Texas 78701 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135 Kevin B. Pratt, Esquire Jay M. Gal t , Esquire Linda Aker, Esquire Looney, Nichols, Johnson & Hayes P. O. Box 12548 219 Couch Drive Capital Station Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73101 Austin, Texas 78767 Somervell County Public Library E. W. Barnett, Esquire P. O. Box 417 Charles G. Thrash, Jr., Esquire Glen Rose, Texas 76403 J. Gregory Copeland, Esquire Theodore F. Weiss, Jr., Esquire Maynard Human, General Manager Baker & Botts Western Farmers Electric Coop.

3000 One Shell Plaza P. O. Box 4 29 Houston, Texas 77002 Anadarko, Oklahoma 73005

James E. Monahan Robert M. Rader, Esquire Executive Vice President Conner, Moore & Corber and General Manager 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue , N. W.

Brazos Electric Power Coop. , Inc. Washing ton, D. C. 20006 P. O. Box 6296 Waco, Texas 76706 W. N. Woolsey, Esquire Dyer and Redford Mr. G. Holman King 1030 Petroleum Tower West Texas Utilities Co. Corpus Christi, Texas 78474 P. O. Box 841 Abilene, Texas 79604 W W l. 0 Marc R. Poirier 4 Attorney for the Public Utilities Board of the City of Brownsville, Texas

- - _