ML20037C166

Advises That Nrc,By Commission Directive,Cannot Provide Transcripts During Evidentiary Hearings.Comptroller General Opinion Encl

ML20037C166
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	01/28/1981
From:	Gutierrez J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE LEGAL DIRECTOR (OELD)
To:	Buchorn P, Coy P Citizens Concerned About Nuclear Power, INC., CITIZENS FOR EQUITABLE UTILITIES
References
NUDOCS 8101300022
Download: ML20037C166 (5)

Text

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Y

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.E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 k

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January 28, 1981 p

9 N 2 9 193g h Mrs. Peggy Buchorn Ms. Pat Coy

%geu, Executive Director Citizens Concerned Abo

( M' /

-Citizens for Equitable Nuclear Power

/N Utilities, Inc.

5106 Casa Oro Route 1 Box 1684 San Antonio, TX 78233 Brazoria, TX 77422 In the Matter of Houston Lighting and Power Company, et al_.

(SouthTexasProject, Units 1and2T Docket Nos. 50-498, 50-499

Dear Mrs. Buchorn and Ms. Coy:

In its Order dated December 2,1980, the Licensing Board directed the NRC Staff to afford xerox copies of transcripts to you during the upcoming evidentiary hearing in the above-captioned proceeding, pursuant to the Comissioners' program of procedural assistance to intervenors.

By opinion letter dated December 3,1980, the Comptroller General of the United States concluded that if the Comission implements its procedural cost reduction program using its fiscal year 1981 appropriations, it will be violating Section 502 of the Appropriations Act. Accordingly, this letter is to advise you that the Staff, by Caamission directive, will be unable to provide you copies of transcripts during the evidentiary hearings this spring.

A copy of the Comptroller General's opinion is enclosed for your review.

Should you have any questions regarding this matter, do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Sincerely, r a.

J M. Gu 'ierrez-Counsel for NRC Staff Enclosure l

As Stated cc w/ encl:

Charles Bechhoefer, Esq.

Jack R. Newman, Esq.

l Dr. James C. Lamb III Betty Wheeler, Esq.

l Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke Tim Hoffman, Esq.

l Melbert Schwarz, Jr., Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Kim Eastman Board Panel Barbara A. Miller Atomic Safety and Licensing i

Brian Berwick, Esq.

Appeal Board Panel Docketing and Service Section d

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20 :o 2 ti.c. cia cf cories of filin.es re:uired of all arties.

r For the rccsens ind'cated belev, we cen:1ude that, with the i

e.Nceptien cf the redue:icn of required copies, the Co :ission may lawfully use its fiscal year 1951 apprcpria. don to 1 ple:ent not the cost redu: ien prograc.

The Cc rission's ado' tion of the r.recra: vas arnounced in the r

Federal Register on July 25, 1c50, (45 Fed. F.es. 4 cf 35).

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was effe :ed by = cans of three amendrents to the Co rissien's regula-

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First. Ecetien 2.7CI(d) of tha: par: vas are-ded by reducing fre:

20 :: 2 d.e..cnber ef cepies of pleadings er other docu ents that everv rar:.v :o 1.2e <receecing is ect rc, to :.,.

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Second, Section 2.71 ~ vas at:nded by adding a provisien that, except in antitrust proceedings, the Cecrission vill copy and se: ce, at no cost to the party, the party's testi ony, proposed findings of fact and con-

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clueiens cf law, and respenses te discoverv recuests.

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-yearf 1951,} vere. appropriated by 'the Energy an; d Water Levelop=ent lppropria tion 'Ae t,1981,1 Pub. 'L. No. :

i 96-367 -90 Stat. 1331.

.Sectien.502lof this'Act provides:

6 "Nene ~ of the fundst in: this Act shall be u:ed to pay

( the expenses of,:orlotherwise.'ce:pensate, parties intervening '.in regulatory or adjudicatory; proceedings funded in this Act'." (94 S t a't ". 1345) p

,is; clear.fres this language that if the procedural cost ' red cti6 7:cgra vill pay,the~ expenses of.in:ervenors-in.the Co=nission's u

n hy the fiscal year 1981 Appropriation Actadjudica:ory pr.oceedings the 1d to itplerent_the prograr.

Obviously the cost. reduction progra: vill apply to the Crn:Issien's adjudicatory proceedings.

The very title of ' the' licensing Proccedings") and the Iederal Register su=cary T-is - a:ending its regulations ~ in, order to provide a-on'e-year pilot prograd of procedural assistance in adjudicatory proceedings ***")

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take this clear.

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It is equally clear that the beneficiaries of the prograr are.

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- to be intervenors in the Coctission's proceedings.

y-The a: ended regu?.ations state that the free transcripts, are to be previded to parties '.'other than the applicant."cepies, and service, explanztery =a:erial in the Federal Register anncuncerent indicates The g

that procedural assistance vill be offered "to all intervenors e-vi:heut qualification".(45 Ted. Reg. 49535), that

" nailed to intervanors" (Id. at 49536) copies of transcrip:s vill be

, and that the free copies of documents vill reduce costs "to intervenors" (Id.).

c" Tins 11y, it is certain that the-program will "psy the expenses of" the in:crvenors.

Clearly if the Co= mission did not adopt the

$f5 cost reduction program then the costs of purchasing transcripts.

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and cepying and serving docunents would be expenses tha:

veuld have to bea* if they were to participate in the Cennission'sthe intervenors i-

' proceedings. ' By bearing these costs itself, the Cc==ission is necessarily paying expenses of the intervenors even though the Cc dissien is' net caking any ' cash pay:ents directly -to the intervencrs.

Although the Cc= ission's a= ended regulatiens ' speak of copies r

"vithcut cost" to the intervenor, and of " free" transcripts,- these L

lceries and transcripts will not be "vithout cos:" or " free" to the l -

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The Coc=ission vill;haveitoicxpend its 1

s pric e. of; the ~ tianscripts..n:neys. to =ake copies of. docu ents and to p

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.The; Con-ission ~itself, -inlits LTederal Register announcehant N

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1.at ~1t' vill beu payingfintervanor. expenses.

as cach as. El,000:per' day to Lobtain' transcripts a

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Trevidint.EL:1:o the intervenors a: its evn-expense the Co= i t

is. ;reviding "an expensive scrvice," 45 7ed ssion ty4::vidin;Ff 7.~

F.eg. 49535.-

- en ' behalf of :ther intervenors, the 'C:::ission vould be3e-copies o "a jervice which v p e rfo rming.

-:o in:crven: s ***ould1 hate high' payoff in terns cf: reducing costs-e

_Id_. at 4c536.

i:rjrtrefe:12 costTherefere,.ve rust. con.clude : hat if;;he Cor:ission im l reduction progra:

p e ents Lap;:cpriarir.s it ' vill be violating Section 502 lof the Appropriatio using its fiscal year 1981-A:t.

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i'za fer cur'epinien, discusses language in the ' Bouse repo equest fis cal year 1950 Cc :is'sion Appropriations Act 7

on the requer:

.that "The-budget sa fer interveners."and=the ce=:ittee recc::endation do no:

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include funds

,4-sessien 136 (June 7,1979).96-243, 96th Cong., 1stL

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,hevever, is stronger because'it precludes.payingThe cue:ed abcve 1

< he expenses,cf-or otherwise co:pensating iE ervenors i

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'h le' sci ::aly is tiso asserts thatte precluding the direct provision of funds to n addition

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ntervenors.

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in:ervaner. funding, 3-92288, February. 19, 1976, g

hevcver. :he. ten: ext of the discussien of costpr:b.'c s" vith p

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decisien vas li=ited to "si plifying procedures and eliminating reduction'in that unnecessary or unduly.burdensoce. requirements" rather 'than shif i i,de the cest' burden of~ unchanged procedures and req i E "f t ng

-interveners :e :he Co=:ission.

u rements from

. E-Our cen !usien does not apply to the Certission's an

-4 regult:ien which s:a:es that all parries to the proceeding need ended file enl documen:y thC erisinal and 2 copies of pleadinss and other s ins:cadoof the original'and 20 ccpies which was fermerly L

recuired.

In cur erinion by =aking.

is net paying in:ervenors'" expenses,this amendr.cn: the Co=:ission but gqpre:c inisle rc c.ui:cecnt s.

As indicated in the 'previouan adfudicatien ces:Lfor all of the ue ftn rnined in cur.lc76 decisien tha:

s paragraph, the7. :!:.'rri:v :e sirplify precedures er elizina:e unthe~Occaissien dtes have-nectssary ori -

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.vour le::er, nakes itThe enactment' of Pub. L. Nr.96-367, af ter you s

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the ::her questiens posed in your'letterunnecessar.v,1. cur opinion,

- ent to address

• f vi:h a.ne ber of the subcen ittee staff who indicatk'e'have discussed S

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c.har cue s:1. ns in your -let ter.ef avoiding unnecessary delay vs need no:

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