ML14180A025

Petitioner'S Motion for Recusal of Commissioner Magwood from Participating in the Consideration of Petition to Intervene and Request for Hearing

ML14180A025
Person / Time
Site:	Fort Calhoun
Issue date:	06/27/2014
From:	Taylor W Wallace L. Taylor, Attorney at Law
To:	NRC/OCM
SECY RAS
References
50-285-LA, Pending, RAS 26123
Download: ML14180A025 (7)

Text

1BEFORETHEUNITEDSTATESNUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONINTHEMATTEROF))DocketNo.50-285OMAHAPUBLICPOWERDISTRICT))June27,2014FORTCALHOUNSTATION,UNIT1)PETITIONER'SMOTIONFORRECUSALOFCOMMISSIONERMAGWOODFROMPARTICIPATINGINTHECONSIDERATIONOFPETITIONTOINTERVENEANDREQUESTFORHEARINGComesnowthePetitioner,SierraClub,andpursuantto28U.S.C.§455andpertinentprecedentandpolicyoftheNuclearRegulatoryCommission,movesfortherecusalofCommissionerWilliamMagwoodfromanyparticipationinthedocketing,deliberationsover,anddeterminationofanyissuesraisedbytheSierraClub'sPetitiontoInterveneandRequestforhearingfiledinthisdocketonApril25,2014./s/WallaceL.TaylorWALLACEL.TAYLORLawOfficesofWallaceL.Taylor1183rdAve.S.E.,Suite326CedarRapids,Iowa52401319-366-2428;(Fax)319-366-3886e-mail:wtaylorlaw@aol.comATTORNEYFORPETITIONER 2MEMORANDUMBACKGROUNDFACTSOnApril25,2014,theSierraClubfiledaPetitiontoInterveneandforAdjudicatoryHearingtorequirealicenseamendmentfortheFortCalhounStation.ThePetitionpresentedfourcontentionsregardingsafetyissuesatFortCalhounthatwouldrequirealicenseamendment.ThePetitionerunderstandsthatthePetitionhasbeenreferredtotheCommissionforappropriateaction.CommissionerWilliamMagwoodnowholdsemploymentoutsidetheCommissionwhichhasfatallycompromisedhisabilitytofunctionasanindependentregulatorofnuclearsafety.HehasacceptedthepositionofDirector-GeneralwiththeOrganisationforEconomicCo-OperationandDevelopment'sNuclearEnergyAgency(NEA).TheNEAactivelypromotes"thedevelopmentoftheproductionandusesofnuclearenergy,"anditspoliciesaresetbymembergovernments."TheobjectiveoftheAgencyistoassistitsmembercountriesinmaintainingandfurtherdeveloping,throughinternationalco-operation,thescientific,technologicalandlegalbasesrequiredforasafe,environmentallyfriendlyandeconomicaluseofnuclearenergyforpeacefulpurposes."2013NEAAnnualReport,p.2,www.oecd-nea.org/pub/activities/ar2013.ar2013.pdf.

3OnJune18,2014,theSierraClubjoined33otherorganizationsinsendingalettertoCommissionerMagwooddescribinginmoredetailwhyhisemploymentwiththeNEAcreatesaconflictofinterestwithhisdutiesasanNRCCommissioner.Acopyofthatletterisheretoattachedandbythisreferencemadeaparthereof.APPLICABLELEGALPRINCIPLESThestandardsgoverningrecusalofNRCadjudicatorsarethesameasthoseforthefederaljudiciary.InReThreeMileIslandAlert,771F.2d720,738(3dCir.1985),citingHoustonLightingandPowerCo.(SouthTexasProject,Units1and2,CLI-82-9,15NRC1363,1365(1982).AnNRCCommissioner,whenmakingadecisioninalicensingproceeding,isanadjudicator.InThreeMileIslandAlert,thecourtobserved:Ajudgemustdisqualifyhimselfifhe"...hasapersonalbiasorprejudiceeitheragainst[aparty]orinfavorofanyadverseparty,"28U.S.C.Sec.144."Theallegedbiasandprejudicetobedisqualifyingmuststemfromanextrajudicialsourceandresultinanopiniononthemeritsonsomebasisotherthanwhatthejudgelearnedfromhisparticipationinthecase."UnitedStatesv.GrinnellCorp.,384U.S.563,583,86S.Ct.1698,1710,16L.Ed.2d778(1966).Ararelyinvokedexceptiontotheextrajudicialsourcerulerequiresrecusalwhenajudgedisplays"pervasivebias,"regardlessofthesourceofthebias.HoustonLightingandPowerCo.at1366.Finally,ajudgemustalsodisqualifyhimselfif"...hisimpartialitymightreasonablybequestioned,"28U.S.C.Sec.455(a).Thistestcallsforrecusal"whereareasonablemanknowingallthecircumstanceswould 4harbordoubtsconcerningthejudge'simpartiality."UnitedStatesv.Dalfonso,707F.2d757,760(3dCir.1983).Id.at738-739.ThesesameprincipleshavebeenexplicitlyrecognizedinNRClawandpractice.Theobjectivestandardiswhetherareasonablepersonknowingallthecircumstanceswouldbeledtotheconclusionthatthejudge's(oraCommissioner's)impartialitymightreasonablybequestioned.PublicServ.Elec.&GasCo.etal.(HopeCreekGeneratingStation,Unit1),ALAB-759,19NRC13,21-22(1984);HydroRes.,Inc.(2929CoorsRd,Suite101,Albequerque,N.M.87120),CLI-98-9,47NRC326,331(1998)."Section455(a)requiresashowingthatwouldcauseanobjective,disinterestedobserverfullyinformedoftheunderlyingfacts[to]entertainsignificantdoubtthatjusticewouldbedoneabsentrecusal."EntergyNuclearGenerationCo.andEntergyNuclearOperations,Inc.(PilgrimNuclearPowerStation),CLI-10-22,72NRC__(Aug.27,2010)(Slipop.at6)(quotingInReAquinda,241F.3d194,201(2dCir.2001)).AlthoughbyitstermsthestatutedoesnotapplytoNRCadjudicators,theCommissionanditsadjudicatoryboardshaveapplied28U.S.C.§§144and455indecidingmotionsfordisqualificationunder10C.F.R.§2,313.

5EntergyNuclearGenerationCo.andEntergyNuclearOperations,Inc.,supra(slipopat2);HoustonLighting&PowerCo.(SouthTexasProject,Units1and2),CLI-82-9,15NRC1363,1365-67(1982).Basedontheforegoing,anNRCjudicialofficialmuststepasideifapartytotheproceedingfilesatimelyandsufficientaffidavitthattheofficialbeforewhomthematterispendinghasapersonalbiasorprejudiceeitheragainstthatpartyorinfavorofanadverseparty.PublicServ.Elec.&GasCo.etal.(HopeCreekGeneratingStation,Unit1),ALAB-759,19NRC13,20(1984).CommissionerMagwoodfindshimselfinexactlythatposition.TheNEA,bywhomheisnowemployed,hasthegoalofpromotingnuclearpower.TheNRC,wherehealsositsasaCommissioner,hasthedutytoregulatethenuclearindustry.ThesetworolespresentaclearconflictofinterestandclearlypresentsasituationwhereCommissionerMagwood's"impartialitymightreasonablybequestioned."ThreeMileIslandAlert,supra.TheEnergyReorganizationActof1974separatedthefunctionsofpromotingnuclearpowerandregulatingthenuclearindustrybetweentheDepartmentofEnergyandtheNRCfortheveryreasonthatthetwofunctionsareincompatible.Thus,CommisionerMagwood'sdualrolesare 6incompatibleandcreateaconflictfromwhichhemustrecusehimself.CERTIFICATIONOF10C.F.R.§2.323CONSULTATIONOnJune27,2014,counselforthePetitionersentcounselfortheNRCstaff,counselforOPPD,andcounselforamicuscuriaeane-mail,requestingtheirconsenttothefilingofthisMotionandaskingwhetheraconferencewasnecessary.Allcounselrespondedthattheyallhavenopositiononthemotionandsawnoneedforaconference.WHEREFORE,PetitionerrespectfullyrequeststhatCommissionerMagwoodrecusehimselfimmediatelyandpermanentlyfromanydeterminationofthePetitiontoInterveneandforAdjudicatoryHearinginthiscase./s/WallaceL.TaylorWALLACEL.TAYLORLawOfficesofWallaceL.Taylor1183rdAve.S.E.,Suite326CedarRapids,Iowa52401319-366-2428;(Fax)319-366-3886e-mail:wtaylorlaw@aol.comATTORNEYFORPETITIONER 7BEFORETHEUNITEDSTATESNUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONINTHEMATTEROF))DocketNo.50-285OMAHAPUBLICPOWERDISTRICT))FORTCALHOUNSTATION,UNIT1)CERTIFICATEOFSERVICEPursuantto10C.F.R.§2.305(revised),Iherebycertifythatcopiesoftheforegoing"MOTIONFORRECUSALOFCOMMISSIONERMAGWOOD,"datedJune27,2014,havebeenservedupontheElectronicInformationExchange,theNRC'sE-FilingSystem,intheabovecaptionedproceeding,onthis27thdayofJune,2014./s/WallaceL.TaylorWALLACEL.TAYLORLawOfficesofWallaceL.Taylor1183rdAve.S.E.,Suite326CedarRapids,Iowa52401319-366-2428;(Fax)319-366-3886e-mail:wtaylorlaw@aol.com