ML20148J338

Response of Applicant OPS to Memoranda of Hendrie & Gilinsky to Counsel Re Commissioners' Impartiality in Proceedings Re Subj Facil.Applicant Has No Objection to Either Commissioner Participating in Review of Issues.Cert of Svc Encl

ML20148J338
Person / Time
Site:	Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	11/02/1978
From:	Cowan B, Daugherty T, Kenrick J OFFSHORE POWER SYSTEMS (SUBS. OF WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRI
To:
References
NUDOCS 7811150257
Download: ML20148J338 (6)

Text

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 4 )go A H c;dh+* ~3 In'the Matter of  : g F OFFSHORE POWER SYSTEMS  : Docket No. STN 50-437 (Manufacturing License for  :

Floating Nuclear Power Plants)  :

RESPONSE OF APPLICANT TO MEMORANDA OF CHAIRMAN JOSEPII M. HENDRIE AND COMMISSIONER VICTOR GILINSKY TO COUNSEL FOR THE PARTIES On October 27, 1978, Chairman Joseph M. Hendrie and Commissioner Victor Gilinsky filed separate, parallel documents entitled " MEMORANDUM TO COUNSEL FOR THE PARTIES" in which they each disclosed certain previous involvement with the Offshore Power Systems application in the above docket. Each Commissioner concluded that he will be able to consider the issues presented by review of ALAB-500 in an impartial manner unaffected by his limited prior in-volvement, and each proposes to participate in the pending review proceeding.

Although neither Memorandum specifically invited comments other than objection to such participation, Off-shore Power Systems, Applicant in this proceeding, believes it is appropriate to state that it has no objection to either Commissioner participating in the review of the im-portant issues raised by ALAB-489 and ALAB-500.

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Under applicable standards, a member of an ad-ministrative agency is not disqualified from participating

in'an adjudication solely on the ground that he has had

. some prior involvement with the factual aspects of the case which he must ultimately decide unless'there is a

] showing of actual bias resulting from that prior involve-j ment. See Hortonville Joint School District No. 1 v.

Hortonville Education Ass'n, 426 U.S. 482, 493 (1976);

Withrow v. Larkin, 421 U.S. 35, 55 (1975); Wilson v. Lin-coln Redevelopment Corp., 488 F.2d 339, 342-43 (8th Cir.

1973). Cf. National Labor Relations Board v. Donnelly Garment Co., 330 U.S. 219, 236-37 (1947). Federal offi-cers with adjudicatory responsibilities are " assumed to be men of conscience and intellectual discipline, capable of judging a particular controversy fairly on the basis of its own circumstances" even though they may have underly-ing philosophies in approaching a specific case. United States v. Morgan, 313 U.S. 409, 421 (1941). Thus, disqual-ification should not occur where, as here, the administra-tor is willing to consider a matter with an open mind and to exercise good faith objectivity in reaching a decision in compliance with the responsibility imposed upon that official by law. Carolina Environmental Study Group v.

United States, 510 F.2d 796, 801 (D.C. Cir. 1975); Environ-

, mental Defense Fund v. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, 470 F.2d 289 (8th Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 412 U.S. 931 (1973);

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Skelly Oil Co. v. Federal Power Commission, 375 F.2d 6, 17-18 (10th Cir. 1967), aff'd in part, rev'd in part on other

grounds, 390 U.S. 747 (1968); Movement Against Destruction

v. Trainor, 400 F. Supp. 533, 547 (D. Md. 1975).

While the facts concerning the previous involve-ment of Chairman Hendrie and Commissioner Gilinsky are dif-ferent,-the minimal degree of involvement appears to be similar in both cases. In neither situation does the prior involvement indicate to Applicant that the Commis'sioners j should be disqualified.

Respectfully submitted, CM/ hlf4Vf "U t l l

Thu.Qh/pc LR.LC beuAsel for Applicant Offshore Power Systems Dated: November 2, 1978

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s UNITED STATES OF AMERICA i

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l

J In the Matter of  : 1

i i OFFSHORE POWER SYSTEMS  : Docket No. STN 50-437 1

1 j (Manufacturing License for  : l Floating Nuclear Power Plants)  : l CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I

I hereby certify that copies of the " Response of Applicant to Memoranda of Chairman Joseph M. Hendrie and l 1

Commissioner Victor Gilinsky to Counsel for the Parties"  !

were served upon the persons listed on Attachment 1 to this  ;

] I 1 Certificate of Service by deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, this 2nd day of November, 1978.

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hn R. Kenribk, Counsel for hore Power Systems 1

ATTACHMENT 1 gg3 SERVICE LIST Joseph M. Hendrie, Chairman Dr. David R. Schnik, Member U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Washingcon, D. C. 20555 Department of Oceanography Texas A & M University Victor Gilinsky, Commissioner College Station, Texas 77840 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Mr. Lester Kornblith, Jr., Member Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Richard T. Kennedy, Commissioner U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ,

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Washington, D. C. 20555 Dr. David L. Hetrick, Alternate Member Peter A. Bradford, Commissioner Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Professor of Nuclear Engineering Washington, D. C. 20555 The University of Arizona l Tucson, Arizona 85721 l John F. Ahearne, Commissioner U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Alan S. Rosenthal, Esq., Chairman Washington, D. C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal i Board Panel l Richard S. Salzman, Chairman U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Washington, D. C. 20555 l Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Alternate Chairman Washington, D. C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Panel Dr. John J. Buck, Member U. G. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Washington, D. C. 20555 Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chief Hearing Counsel Washington, D. C. 20555 office of the Executive Legal Director U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Michael C. Farrar, Member Washington, D. C. 20555 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Director (2)

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Washington, D. C. 20555 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Secretary Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Docketing and Service Section (21)

Board Office of the Secretary U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Washington, D. C. 20555 Sheldon J. Wolfe, Esq., Chairman Martin G. Malsch, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Of fice of the Executive Legal Director U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Washington, D. C. 20555

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Stephen M. Schinki, Esq. R. William Potter, Esq.

Marc R. Staenberg, Esq. Assistant Deputy Public Advocate Office of the Executive Legal Director State of New Jersey U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 141 Washington, D. C. 20555 Trenton, New Jersey 08601 Barton Z. Cowan, Esq. Mr. Kenneth B. Walton John R. Kenrick, Esq. Brigantine Tutoring Ecke.ct, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott 309 Twenty-First Street, South 600 Grant Street Brigantine, New Jersey 08203 Forty-Second Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 Mr. George B. Ward Nuclear Power Plant Committee Thomas M. Daugherty, Esq. City Hall Offshore Power Systems Brigantine, New Jersey 08203 8000 Arlington Expressway P. O. Box 8000 Mr. Harold P. Abrams, President Jacksonville, Florida 32211 Atlantic County Citizens Council on Environment Carl Valore, Jr., Esq. 9100 Amherst Avenue Valore, McAllister, DeBrier, Aron Margate, New Jersey 08402 6 Westmoreland Mainland Professional Plaza Dr. Willard W. Rosenberg, Chairman 535 Tilton Road Energy Committee P. O. Box 152 Atlantic County Citizens Council on Northfield, New Jersey 08225 Environment 8 North Rumson Avenue Richard M. Hluchan, Esq. Margate, New Jersey 08402 State of New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Mr. John H. Williamson 36 West State Street Energy Committee Trenton, New Jersey 08625 Atlantic County Citizens Council on Environment Anthony Z. Roisman, Esq. 211 Forest Drive Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Linwood, New Jersey 08221 917 Fifteenth Street, N.W.

Washington, D. C. 20005 Page 2 of 2