ML19323D770

Response to Houston Lighting & Power 800326 Motion to Compel Production of Documents Subpoenaed from Midwest Electric Cooperative Files.Urges Denial of Motion to Extent of Striking Wetzel & Midwest Testimonies.W/Certificate of Svc

ML19323D770
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas, Comanche Peak
Issue date:	04/23/1980
From:	Cyphert S JUSTICE, DEPT. OF
To:	Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
NUDOCS 8005220314
Download: ML19323D770 (6)

Text

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9

& DOMENO a

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA s UDWO -

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g $80 # @

. Ottice of the Secrets?

Before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boar g Docketiot &SdCU T In the Matter of c)

)

HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER )

COMPANY, et al. (South ) Docket Nos. 50-498A Texas Project, Units 1 ) 50-499A and 2)

)

)

TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING )

COMPANY, et al. (Comanche ) Docket Nos. 50-445A Peak Steam Electric ) 50-446A Station, Units 1 and 2) )

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S RESPONSE TO HOUSTON LIGHTING &

POWER COMPANY'S MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS SUBPOENAED FROM THE FILES OF MIDWEST ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE On February 1, 1980, the Department of Justice (" Department")

designated Mr. Parker Wetzel as a potential witness in the above-captioned proceedings. Mr. Wetzel is General Manager of Midwest Electric Cooperative in Roby, Texas. Mr. Wetzel's deposition was originally scheduled on February 22, 1980. A duces tecum j was also served on Mr. Wetzel for return on that date. Mr. Wetzel, however, was unable to attend on that date becase he was scheduled to undergo surgery a few days later. The Department agreed to be available at any mutually convenient time after his recovery.

I To date, Houston Lighting & Power Company ("HL&P") has not rescheduled this deposition. However, on March 26, 1980, HL&P filed the instant motion to cacein documents sought by its duces tecum.

8 0052 20 3 s q

i The Department presently has no additional knowledge of whether Mr. Wetzel has any documents responsive to this subpoena or whether they have been withheld on the basis of some privilege or concern regarding confidentiality on advice of his counsel.

Accordingly, the Department is not in a position to oppose or support HL&P's Motion. The Department, however, does not object to entering into an appropriate protective order which may address any concerns of Mr. Wetzel or his counsel.

HL&P's Motion requests that this Board order Midwest Electric Cooperative produce the documents sought by its subpoena. In the alternative HL&P requests that the Board strike all potential testimony of Mr. Wetzel and all other members or representatives of the Midwest Electric Cooperative if the Board will not order production of the documents at issue. Irrespective of the merits of whether the documents should be produced, the Board should not grant HL&P's alternative relief since such a sanction clearly is not an appropriate remedy under the circumstances and would severely prejudice the Department and any other parties which may wish to designate Mr. Wetzel as a potential witness or adopt his potential testimony, particularly since the Department has no power to compel or control the production of these documents other than through the issuance of an order by the License i

Board as requested by HL&P. Moreover, if the Board adopted such a sanction sought by HL&P, the Board could be deprived of the substance of Mr. Wetzel's potential testimony.

I

t Therefore for the aforementioned reasons, the Department respectfully request that HL&P's Motion insofar as it seeks to strike the potential testimony of Mr. Wetzel or all other members or representatives of the Midwest Electric Cooperative be denied.

Respectfully submitted,

_h0db0[ke's usan Braden Cyphert'

./f*k Washington, D. C. Attorney Energy Section April 23, 1980 Antitrust Division Department of Justice (202) 724-6667

. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board "

In the Matter of )

HOUSTON LIGHTING AND POWER ) Docket Nos. 50-498A CO., et al.(South Texas ) 50-499A Project, Units 1 and 2) )

)

TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING ) Docket Nos. 50-445A COMPANY (Comanche Peak ) 50-446A Steam Electric Station, )

Units 1 and 2) )

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that service of the foregoing Department of Justice's Response to Houston Lighting & Power Company's Motion to Compel Production of Documents Subpoenaed from the

- Files of Midwest Electric Cooperative has been made on the following parties listed hereto this 23rd day of April, 1980, by depositing copies thereof in the United States mail, first

, class, postage prepaid.

Marshall E. Miller, Esquire Alan S. Rosenthal, Esquire Chairman Chairman Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Michael C. Farrar, Esquire Panel Thomas S. Moore, Esquire U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Atomic Safety and Licensing Commission )

Appeal Board Panel Washington, D. C. 20555 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory '

Commission Michael L. Glaser, Esquire Washington, D. C. 20555 i

1150 17th Street, N.W.

Washington, D. C. 20036 Jerome E. Sharfman, Esquire U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Sheldon J. Wolfe, Esquire Commission Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Washington, D. C. 20555 Panel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Chase R. Stephens, Secretary Commission Docketing and Service Branch Washington, D. C. 20555 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Samuel J. Chilk, Secretary Washington, D. C. 20555 Office of the Secretary of the Commission Jerome Saltzman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Chief, Antitrust and Commission Indemnity Group Washington, D. C. 20555 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory l Commission Washington, D. C. 20555

Mr. William C. Price Michael Blume, Esquire Central Power & Ligh t Co. Fredric D. Chanania, Esq.

a. P. O. Box 2121 Ann P. Hodgdon, Esq.

Corpus Christi, Texas 78403 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission G. K . Spruce, General Manager Washington, D. C. 20555 City Public Service Board P.O. Box 1771 Jerry L. Harris, Esquire San Antonio, Texas 78203 City Attorney, Richard C. Balough, Esquire Perry G. Brittain Assistant City Attorney President City of Austin Texas Utilities Generating P.O. Box 1088 Company Austin, Texas 78767 2001 Bryan Tower Dallas, Texas 75201 Robert C. McDiarmid, Esquire Robert A. Jablon, Esquire R.L. Hancock, Director Spiegel and McDiarmid City of Austin Electric 2600 Virginia Avenue, N.W.

Utility Department Washington, D. C. 20036 P. O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 Dan H. Davidson

. City Manager G. W. Oprea, Jr. City of Austin Executive Vice President P. O. Box 1088 Houston Lighting & Power Austin, Texas 78767 Company P. O. Box 1700 don R. Butler, Esquire Houston, Texas 77001 1225 Southwest Tower Austin, Texas 78701 Jon C. Wood, Esquire W. Roger Wilson, Esquire Joseph Irion Worsham, Esquire Matthews, Nowlin, Macfarlane Merlyn D. Sampels, Esquire

& Barrett Spencer C. Relyea, Esquire 1500 Alamo National Buildin9 Worsham, Forsythe & Sampels San Antonio, Texas 78205 2001 Bryan Tower, Suite 2500 David M. Stahl, Esquire Isham, Lincoln & Beale Joseph Knotts, Esquire Suite 325 Nicholas S. Reynolds, Esquire 1120 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Leonard W. Belter Washington, D. C. 20036 Debevoise & Liberman 1200 17th Street, N.W.

Michael I. Miller, Esquire Washington, D. C. 20036 J ame s A . Carney, Esquire Sarah N. Welling, Esquire Douglas F. John, Esquire Isham, Lincoln & Beale Akin, Gump, Hauer & Feld 4200 One First National Plaza 1333 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.

Chicago, Illinois 60603 Suite 400 Washington, D. C. 20036

Morgan Hunter, Esquire Robert Lowenstein, Esquire McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore J.A. Bouknight, Esquire 5th Floor, Texas State Bank William J. Franklin, Esquire Building Lowenstein, Newman, Reis, 900 Congress Avenue Axelrad & Toll Austin, Texas 78701 1025 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D. C. 20036 Jay M. Galt, Esquire l Looney, Nichols, Johnson E. W. Barnett, Esquire l

& Hayes Charles G. Thrash, Jr., Esquire l 219 Couch Drive J. Gregory Copeland, Esquire Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73101 Theodore F. Weiss, Jr., Esquire ,

Baker & Botts I Knoland J. Plucknett 3000 One Shell Plaza I Executive Director Houston, Texas 77002 Committee on Power for the Southwest, Inc. Kevin B. Pratt, Esquire 5541 East Skelly Drive Assistant Attorney General Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135 P.O. Box 12548 Capital Station John W. Davidson, Esquire Austin, Texas 78711 Sawtelle, Goode, Davidson 1

& Tioilo Frederick H. Ritts, Esquire

. 1100 San Antonio Savings Law Offices of Northcutt Ely Building Watergate 600 Building San Antonio, Texas 78205 Washington, D.C. 20037 W. S. Robson Donald M. Clements, Esq.

General Manager Gulf States Utilities Company South Texas Electric P.O. Box 2951 Cooperative, Inc. Beaumont, Texas 77704 Route 6, Building 102 Victoria Regional Airport Mr. G. Holman King Victoria, Texas 77901 West Texas Utilities Co.

P. O. Box 841 Robert M. Rader, Esquire Abilene, Texas 79604 Conner, Moore & Corber 1747 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. W. N. Woolsey, Esquire Washington, D.C. 20006 Kleberg, Dyer, Redford & Weil 1030 Petroleum Tower R. Gordon Gooch, Esquire Corpus Christi, Texas 78474 i John P. Mathis, Esquire  !

Steven R. Hunsicker {

Baker & Botts 1 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. -s4(474dl -

l Washington, D. C. 20006 Nancy Luqu Attorny? l Energy Sec on Antitrust ivision Department of Justice l

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