ML23229A602

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8-15-23 Motion for Extension of Time to File Reply (5th Cir.)(Case 23-60377)
ML23229A602
Person / Time
Site: HI-STORE
Issue date: 08/15/2023
From: Andrew Averbach, Heminger J, Kim T
NRC/OGC, US Dept of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Div
To:
US Federal Judiciary, Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
References
23-60377, Document: 31
Download: ML23229A602 (1)


Text

No. 23-60377 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT FASKEN LAND AND MINERALS, LTD., and PERMIAN BASIN LAND AND ROYATY OWNERS, Petitioners,

v.

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondents.

On Petition for Review of Action by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission UNOPPOSED MOTION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE REPLY TO RESPONSES TO FEDERAL RESPONDENTS MOTION TO DISMISS OR TRANSFER Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/15/2023

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 26(b) and Fifth Circuit Rule 26.2, Respondents United States of America and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (collectively Federal Respondents) respectfully request an extension of time to file a reply in support of Federal Respondents motion to dismiss or transfer this Petition for Review. Federal Respondents reply is currently due on August 21, 2023. But for the reasons explained below, good cause exists for an extension of seven days. Undersigned counsel has contacted all parties concerning this request, and all parties have stated that they do not oppose the relief requested.

1.

This case concerns a challenge to a license issued by the NRC to Intervenor Holtec International. Fasken filed the Petition for Review on July 7, 2023.

2.

On July 28, 2023, Federal Respondents moved to dismiss the Petition or, in the alternative, to transfer the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The motion raises a dispositive question about the Courts jurisdiction over the petition.

3.

On August 2, 2023, the parties jointly filed a motion to extend by seven days the times for both responses to the motion to dismiss and for a reply to the responses. On August 4, 2023, the Court granted the motion with respect to the time to respond to the motion to dismiss, but it deemed premature the request to Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 2 Date Filed: 08/15/2023

extend the time for Federal Respondents to file a reply (since no due date had yet been established).

4.

In accordance with the courts order of August 4, responses to the motion to dismiss were filed on August 14, 2023. Federal Respondents reply to those responses is currently due on August 21, 2023.

5.

Preparation of Federal Respondents reply requires close coordination between counsel for the NRC and the Department of Justice, as well as internal reviews within each agency. Thus, Federal Respondents respectfully request that the time for filing a reply in support of the motion be extended from 7 days to 14 days.

6.

This extension is sought in the interest of justice and not for delay.

Granting the extension will allow undersigned counsel to prepare a thorough reply supporting Federal Respondents motion.

CONCLUSION For these reasons, Federal Respondents respectfully request that the Court extend the time to file a reply to the responses to their motion to dismiss or transfer by seven days, until August 28, 2023.

Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 3 Date Filed: 08/15/2023

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Justin D. Heminger TODD KIM Assistant Attorney General JUSTIN D. HEMINGER Attorney Environment and Natural Resources Division U.S. Department of Justice Post Office Box 7415 Washington, D.C. 20044

/s/ Andrew P. Averbach ANDREW P. AVERBACH Solicitor Office of the General Counsel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 andrew.averbach@nrc.gov (301) 415-1956 justin.heminger@usdoj.gov (202) 514-5442 August 15, 2023 Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 4 Date Filed: 08/15/2023

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE 27(D)

I certify that this filing complies with the requirements of Fed. R. App. P.

27(d)(1)(E) because it has been prepared in 14-point Times New Roman, a proportionally spaced font.

I further certify that this filing complies with the type-volume limitation of Fed. R. App. P. 27(d)(2)(A) because it contains 402 words, excluding the parts of the filing exempted under Fed. R. App. P. 32(f), according to the count of Microsoft Word.

/s/ Andrew P. Averbach Andrew P. Averbach Counsel for Respondent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 5 Date Filed: 08/15/2023

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that on August 15, 2023, I served a copy of the foregoing UNOPPOSED MOTION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE REPLY TO RESPONSES TO FEDERAL RESPONDENTS MOTION TO DISMISS OR TRANSFER upon counsel for the parties in this action by filing the document electronically through the CM/ECF system.

/s/ Andrew P. Averbach Andrew P. Averbach Counsel for Respondent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Case: 23-60377 Document: 31 Page: 6 Date Filed: 08/15/2023