-BEFORE THE
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF UTAH-
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| In the Matter of the Application of PacifiCorp, dba Utah Power & Light Company for Approval of the Supply of Supplementary, Maintenance and Back-up Electric Service to Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation |
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DOCKET NO. 04-035-68 PROTECTIVE ORDER |
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By
the Commission:
PacifiCorp dba Utah Power & Light Company ("PacifiCorp"),
on January 10, 2005, submitted a Motion, Request for Expedited Treatment and
Proposed Order to the Commission in the above-entitled proceeding seeking a
Protective Order. PacifiCorp states in its Motion that the entry of a
Protective Order will expedite the production of documents and other
information to parties seeking to prepare for hearings in this matter, and
will afford necessary protection to valuable confidential, trade secret, and
business information.
The Commission finds that sufficient grounds exist for entry of a
Protective Order.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that:
1.
(A) Confidential Information.
All documents, data, information, studies and other materials
furnished, or made available pursuant to any interrogatories, or requests for
information, subpoenas, depositions, or other modes of discovery that are
claimed by the parties to be of a trade secret or confidential nature shall be
furnished pursuant to the terms of this Order, and shall be treated by all
persons accorded access thereto pursuant to this Order as constituting trade
secret, confidential commercial, or otherwise protected information
(hereinafter referred to as "Confidential Information"), and shall
neither be used nor disclosed except for the purpose of this proceeding, and
solely in accordance with this Order. All
material claimed to be Confidential Information shall be so marked by the
party or its affiliates by stamping the same with the designation, “CONFIDENTIAL
- - SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER” or
“CONFIDENTIAL - - SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER IN DOCKET NO. 04-035-68.” All copies of documents so marked will be made on yellow
paper. Parties filing
electronically should file both a confidential and non-confidential version
clearly marked as such. For purposes hereof, notes made pertaining to or as
the result of a review of Confidential Information shall be considered
Confidential Information and subject to the terms of this Order.
(B) Use of Confidential Information and Persons Entitled to Review. All Confidential Information made available pursuant to this
Order shall be given solely to counsel for the parties (including counsels’
paralegals, administrative assistants and clerical staff to the extent
necessary for performance of work on this matter) which shall include the
Division of Public Utilities (“Division”) and the Committee of Consumer
Services (“Committee”), and shall not be used nor disclosed except for the
purpose of this proceeding; provided, however, that access to any specific
Confidential Information may be authorized by counsel, solely for the purpose
of this proceeding, to those persons indicated by the parties as being their
experts in this matter (including such experts’ administrative assistants
and clerical staff, and persons employed by the parties, to the extent
necessary for performance of work on this matter).
However, persons designated as experts shall not include persons
employed by the parties who could use the information in their normal job
functions to the competitive disadvantage of the party providing the
Confidential Information. Any
member of the Public Service Commission and its staff, under and pursuant to
the applicable provisions of Title 54, Utah Code Ann., the Rules of Civil
Procedure and the Rules of the Commission, may have access to any Confidential
Information made available pursuant to this Order and shall be bound by the
terms of this Order, except for the requirement of signing a nondisclosure
agreement. Further, nothing
herein shall prevent disclosure as required by law pursuant to
interrogatories, administrative requests for information or documents,
subpoena, civil investigative demand or similar process, provided, however,
that the party being required to disclose Confidential Information shall
promptly give prior notice by telephone and written notice of such requirement
of disclosure by facsimile and overnight mail to the party that provided such
Confidential Information, addressed to the attorneys of record
for such party, so that the party that provided the Confidential
Information may seek an appropriate protective order.
The disclosing party will not oppose action by, and will cooperate with
the party that provided the Confidential Information to obtain an appropriate
protective order or other reliable assurance that confidential treatment will
be accorded the Confidential Information.
(C)
Nondisclosure Agreement. Prior
to giving access to Confidential Information, as contemplated in paragraph
1(b) above to counsel or any expert designated to testify in this proceeding,
counsel for the party seeking review of the Confidential Information shall
deliver a copy of this Order to such person and, prior to disclosure such
person shall agree in writing to comply with and be bound by this Order.
Confidential Information shall not be disclosed to any person who has
not signed a Nondisclosure Agreement in the form which is attached hereto and
incorporated herein as Appendix A. The
Nondisclosure Agreement (Appendix A) shall require the person to whom
disclosure is to be made to read a copy of this Protective Order and to
certify in writing that he or she has reviewed the same and has consented to
be bound by its terms. The
agreement shall contain the signatory's full name, permanent address and
employer, and the name of the party with whom the signatory is associated. Such agreement shall be delivered to counsel for the
providing party prior to the expert gaining access to the Confidential
Information.
(D)
Additional protective measures. A
provider of documents and information may claim that additional protective
measures, beyond those required under this Protective Order, are warranted for
certain confidential material, referred to as highly sensitive documents and
information. In such case, the
provider shall identify such documents and information and shall inform the
requester of such documents and information of their claimed highly sensitive
nature as soon as possible. The provider of the requested information shall
also petition the Commission for an order granting additional protective
measures which the petitioner believes are warranted for the claimed highly
sensitive documents and information that is to be produced in response to an
information request. The provider shall set forth the particular basis for:
the claim, the need for the specific, additional protective measures, and the
reasonableness of the requested, additional protection. A party who would
otherwise receive the documents and information under the terms of this
Protective Order, may respond to the petition and oppose or propose
alternative protective measures to those requested by the provider of the
claimed highly sensitive documents and information. Disputes between the
parties shall be resolved pursuant to Commission Order pursuant to Paragraph 2
of this Protective Order.
2.
(A) Challenge to Confidentiality or Proposed Additional Protective
Measures. This Order
establishes a procedure for the expeditious handling of Confidential
Information; it shall not be construed as an agreement, or ruling on the
confidentiality of any document.
(B)
In the event that the parties hereto are unable to agree that certain
documents, data, information, studies, or other matters constitute
Confidential Information, are highly sensitive documents and information
referred to in paragraph 1(d) above, or agree on the appropriate treatment of
highly sensitive documents and information, the party objecting to the
classification as Confidential Information or the party claiming highly
sensitive documents and information and the need for additional protective
measures shall forthwith submit the said matters to the Commission for its
review pursuant to this Order. When
the Commission rules on the question of whether any documents, data,
information, studies, or other matters submitted to them for review and
determination are Confidential Information, are highly sensitive documents
and
information, or the appropriate additional protection to be afforded for
specific highly sensitive documents and information, the Commission will enter
an order resolving the issue.
(C)
Any party at any time upon ten (10) days prior notice may seek by appropriate
pleading, to have documents that have been designated as Confidential
Information, or which were accepted into the sealed record in accordance with
this Order, removed from the protective requirements of this Order, or from
the sealed record and placed in the public record.
If the confidential, or proprietary nature of this information is
challenged, resolution of the issue shall be made by the Commission after
proceedings in camera which shall be conducted under circumstances such that
only those persons duly authorized hereunder to have access to such
confidential matter shall be present. The
record of such in camera hearings
shall be marked "CONFIDENTIAL--SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER IN CASE NO.
04-035-68." It shall be
transcribed only upon agreement by the parties, or Order of the Commission,
and in that event shall be separately bound, segregated, sealed, and withheld
from inspection by any person not bound by the terms of this Order, unless and
until released from the restrictions of this Order, either through agreement
of the parties, or after notice to the parties and hearing, pursuant to an
Order of the Commission. In the
event the Commission should rule in response to such a pleading that any
information should be removed from the protective requirements of this Order,
or from the protection of the sealed record, such Order of the Commission
shall not be effective for a period of ten (10) days after entry of the Order.
3.
(A) Receipt into Evidence.
Provision is hereby made for receipt of evidence in this proceeding
under seal. At least ten (10)
days prior to the use of or substantive reference to
any
Confidential Information as evidence, the party intending to use such
Confidential Information shall make that intention known to the providing
party. The requesting party and
the providing party shall make a good faith effort to reach an agreement so
that the Information can be used in a manner which will not reveal its trade
secret, confidential or proprietary nature.
If such efforts fail, the providing party shall separately identify,
within five (5) business days, which portions, if any, of the documents to be
offered or referenced on the record containing Confidential Information shall
be placed in the sealed record. Only
one (1) copy of documents designated by the providing party to be placed in
the sealed record shall be made and only for that purpose.
Otherwise, parties shall make only general references to Confidential
Information in these proceedings.
(B)
Seal. While in the custody
of the Commission, these materials shall be marked "CONFIDENTIAL--SUBJECT
TO PROTECTIVE ORDER IN CASE NO.04-035-68," and due to their nature they
shall not be considered as records in the possession of or retained by the
Commission within the meaning of the open meetings or public records statutes.
(C)
In Camera Hearing. Any
Confidential Information that must be orally disclosed to be placed in the
sealed record in this proceeding shall be offered in an
in camera hearing, attended only by persons authorized to have access to
the Confidential Information under this Order.
Similarly, cross-examination on or substantive reference to
Confidential
Information,
as well as that portion of the record containing references thereto, shall be
marked and treated as provided herein.
(D)
Appeal. Sealed portions of
the record in this proceeding may be forwarded to any court of competent
jurisdiction on appeal in accordance with applicable rules and regulations,
but under seal as designated herein, for the information and use of the court.
(E)
Return. Unless otherwise
ordered, Confidential Information, including transcripts of any depositions to
which a claim of confidentiality is made, shall remain under seal, shall
continue to be subject to the protective requirements of this Order, and shall
be returned to counsel for the providing party within 30 days after final
settlement, or conclusion of this matter including administrative, or judicial
review thereof. Alternatively, a
party receiving Confidential Information pursuant to the terms of this Order
may certify, within 30 days after final settlement, or conclusion of this
matter including administrative, or judicial review thereof, that the
Confidential Information has been destroyed.
Counsel who are provided access to Confidential Information pursuant to
the terms of this Order may retain their notes, work papers or other documents
which would be considered the attorneys’ work product created with respect
to their use and access to Confidential Information in this docket. An expert
witness, accorded access to Confidential Information pursuant to this Order,
shall provide to counsel for the party on whose behalf the expert was retained
or employed, the expert’s notes, work papers or other documents pertaining
or relating to any Confidential Information. Counsel shall retain these
expert’s documents with counsel’s documents.
In order to facilitate their ongoing regulatory responsibility, this
paragraph shall not apply to the Commission, the Division or the Committee,
which may retain Confidential Information obtained under this Order subject to
the other terms of this Order. The
Division may release or disclose Confidential Information obtained in this
docket to other parties in subsequent Commission dockets or proceedings,
pursuant to the terms of applicable protective orders issued in such other
subsequent Commission dockets or proceedings. The providing party shall be
notified in advance by any state regulatory
agency
which intends to use, release or disclose any of the retained Confidential
Information in any subsequent case.
4.
Use in Pleadings. Where
reference to Confidential Information in the sealed record is required in
pleadings, cross-examinations, briefs, arguments, or motions, it shall be by
citation of title, or exhibit number, or by some other nonconfidential
description. Any further use of,
or substantive references to Confidential Information shall be placed in a
separate section of the pleading, or brief and submitted to the Commission
under seal. This sealed section
shall be served only on counsel of record (one copy each), who have signed a
Nondisclosure Agreement. All the
protections afforded in this order apply to materials prepared and distributed
under this paragraph.
5.
(A) Use in Decisions and Orders.
The Commission will attempt to refer to Confidential Information in
only a general, or conclusionary form and will avoid reproduction in any
decision of Confidential Information to the greatest possible extent.
If it is necessary for a determination in this proceeding to discuss
Confidential Information other than in a general, or conclusionary form, it
shall be placed in a separate section of this Order, or Decision, under seal.
This sealed section shall be served only on counsel of record (one copy
each) who have signed a Nondisclosure Agreement.
Counsel for other parties shall receive the cover sheet to the sealed
portion and may review the sealed portion on file with the Commission once
they have signed a Nondisclosure Agreement.
6.
Segregation of Files. Those
parts of any writing, depositions reduced to writing, written examination,
interrogatories and answers thereto, or other written references to
Confidential
Information in the course of discovery, if filed with the Commission, will be
sealed by the Commission, segregated in the files of the Commission, and
withheld from inspection by any person not bound by the terms of this Order,
unless such Confidential Information is released from the restrictions of this
Order, either through agreement of the parties, or after notice to the parties
and hearing, pursuant to the Order of the Commission and/or final order of a
court having jurisdiction.
7.
Preservation of Confidentiality.
All persons who may be entitled to receive, or who are afforded access
to any Confidential Information by reason of this Order shall neither use, nor
disclose the Confidential Information for purposes of business or competition,
or any other purpose other than the purposes of preparation for and conduct of
this proceeding, and then solely as contemplated herein, and shall take
reasonable precautions to keep the Confidential Information secure in
accordance with the purposes and intent of this Order.
8.
Reservation of Rights. The
parties hereto affected by the terms of this Protective Order further retain
the right to question, challenge, and object to the admissibility of any and
all data, information, studies and other matters furnished under the terms of
this Protective Order in response to interrogatories, requests for
information, other modes of discovery, or cross-examination on the grounds of
relevancy or materiality. This
Order shall in no way constitute any waiver of the rights of any party to
contest any assertion by a party, or finding by the Commission that any
information is a trade secret, confidential, or privileged, and to appeal any
assertion or finding.
9.
The provisions of this Order are specifically intended to apply to
data, or information supplied by or from any party to this proceeding, and any
non-party that supplies documents pursuant to process issued by this
Commission
DATED at Salt Lake City, Utah, this 20th day of January,
2005.
/s/ Ric Campbell, Chairman
/s/ Constance B. White, Commissioner
/s/
Ted Boyer, Commissioner
Attest:
/s/
Julie Orchard
Commission
Secretary
G#42362
APPENDIX
A TO PROTECTIVE ORDER
IN
DOCKET NO. 04-035-68
I
have reviewed the Protective Order entered by the Public Service Commission of
Utah in Docket No.04-035-68 with respect to the review and use of confidential
information and agree to comply with the terms and conditions of the Protective
Order.
__________________________________
Signature
_________________________________
Name (Type or Print)
__________________________________
Residence Address
____________________________________
Employer or Firm
_____________________________________
Date Signed