Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05159/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05159-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 05:702 Administrative Procedure Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Christopher Sproul (State Bar No. 126398)

Jodene Isaacs (State Bar No. 226895)

Megan Anderson (State Bar No. 237548)

Environmental Advocates

5135 Anza Street

San Francisco, California 94121

Telephone: (415) 533-3376, Facsimile: (415) 358-5695

Email: csproul@enviroadvocates.com, jisaacs@enviroadvocates.com,

manderson@enviroadvocates.com

Daniel Cooper (State Bar No. 153576)

Layne Friedrich (State Bar No. 195431)

Lawyers for Clean Water, Inc.

1004 O'Reilly Avenue

San Francisco, California 94129

Telephone: (415) 440-6520, Facsimile: (415) 440-4155

Email: cleanwater@sfo.com, layne@lawyersforcleanwater.com

Shana Lazerow (State Bar No. 195491)

Adrienne L. Bloch (State Bar No. 215471)

Communities for a Better Environment

1440 Broadway Suite701

Oakland, California 94612

Telephone: (510) 302-0430, Facsimile: (510) 302-0438

Email: slazerow@cbecal.org, abloch@cbecal.org

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

BAYKEEPER, HUMBOLDT BAYKEEPER, ECOLOGICAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION, and

COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

BAYKEEPER, HUMBOLDT BAYKEEPER,

ECOLOGICAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION, and

COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER

ENVIRONMENT,

Plaintiffs,

v.

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION AGENCY, STEPHEN L.

JOHNSON, as Administrator of the United States

Environmental Protection Agency, WAYNE

NASTRI, as Regional Administrator of the United

States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9,

Defendants. ___________________________________________

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

Case No. C 06-5159 WHA

STIPULATION CONCERNING

MEDIATION CONFIDENTIALITY;

[Proposed] ORDER

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 57 Filed 03/26/2007 Page 1 of 5 Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 58 Filed 03/27/07 Page 1 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Stipulation for Mediation Confidentiality, [Proposed] Order

WHEREAS, by Order dated March 13, 2007, the Court appointed Daniel Bowling as the

Mediator assigned to this case pursuant to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Local Rules

(“ADR L.R.”) of this Court;

WHEREAS, the Plaintiffs Baykeeper, Humboldt Baykeeper, Ecological Rights

Foundation, and Communities for a Better Environment (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) and the

Defendants United States Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen L. 

Johnson, as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Wayne Nastri,

as Regional Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9

(collectively, “Defendants”) have been engaged in mediation discussions supervised by Mr.

Bowling since December 4, 2006 in a parallel case, Baykeeper, et al. v. U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, et al., C 06-05611 CRB (“Baykeeper II”) pursuant to the December 4, 2006

Order of the Honorable Charles Breyer;

WHEREAS, the Parties’ mediation discussions since December 4, 2006 have included

discussions of resolving the issues raised by both this action and Baykeeper II;

WHEREAS, the Plaintiffs and Defendants (collectively, “the Parties”) have exchanged

several confidential draft settlement agreements and related confidential settlement

communications in the course of pursuing this court-ordered mediation;

WHEREAS, the Parties met in person on March 22, 2007 for a mediation session

directed by Mr. Bowling and executed a confidentiality agreement on that date;

WHEREAS, the Parties have to date preserved the confidentiality of all their mediation

communications and continue to agree that preserving confidentiality of their mediation

communications is important for facilitating the success of those communications;

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties have agreed to continue to preserve the confidentiality

of all their mediation communications and request that the Court issue an order as follows:

1. Consistent with ADR L.R. 5-12 and 6-11 governing the confidentiality of

mediation sessions, the Parties shall treat as confidential information any documents produced

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 57 Filed 03/26/2007 Page 2 of 5 Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 58 Filed 03/27/07 Page 2 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

As the filing attorney, I, Christopher Sproul, attest that Defendants’ counsel finds the

contents of this filed document acceptable and has given me permission to electronically file this

stipulated motion on Defendants’ behalf.

Stipulation for Mediation Confidentiality, [Proposed] Order Page 2 of 4

and anything that happens or is said in connection with the court-directed mediation in this

action. Confidential information shall not be disclosed to anyone not involved

in this litigation except as required by court order, shall not be disclosed to the assigned judge,

and shall not be used by the parties for any purpose, including impeachment, in any pending or

future proceedings unless all parties and the neutral so agree;

2. The parties further agree that any evidence, which is otherwise admissible or

subject to discovery or disclosure, shall not become inadmissable or protected from disclosure

solely by reason of its introduction or use in this ADR proceeding. Further, disclosure of

information which is otherwise privileged shall not alter its privileged character;

3. The parties further agree not to subpoena the neutral or any documents submitted

to or prepared by the neutral in connection with or during the mediation or ENE sessions. The

neutral shall not voluntarily testify on behalf of a party; and

4. This agreement shall not preclude a report to or an inquiry by the ADR Magistrate

Judge pursuant to ADR L.R. 2-4(a) regarding a possible violation of the ADR Local Rules. Nor

shall this agreement render inadmissable a written settlement agreement reached as a result of

this ADR proceeding in an action to enforce that settlement.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: March 26, 2007

FOR PLAINTIFFS: /s/ Christopher Sproul1

CHRISTOPHER SPROUL

Environmental Advocates

5135 Anza Street

San Francisco, CA 94121

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 57 Filed 03/26/2007 Page 3 of 5 Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 58 Filed 03/27/07 Page 3 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Stipulation for Mediation Confidentiality, [Proposed] Order Page 3 of 4

FOR DEFENDANTS: KEVIN V. RYAN

United States Attorney

SUE ELLEN WOOLDRIDGE

Assistant Attorney General

Environment & Natural Resources Division

 /s/ Lily N. Chinn

LILY N. CHINN

Trial Attorney

United States Department of Justice

Environmental Defense Section

P.O. Box 23986

Washington, D.C. 20026-3986

It is so ordered.

DATED: ___________________ ___________________________________

HON. WILLIAM H. ALSUP

United States District Court

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 57 Filed 03/26/2007 Page 4 of 5

March 27, 2007

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge William Alsup

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 58 Filed 03/27/07 Page 4 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Stipulation for Mediation Confidentiality, [Proposed] Order Page 4 of 4

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

On March __, 2007, a true and correct copy of the foregoing stipulation was served

electronically via the Court’s e-filing system to Counsel of Record.

 /s/ Christopher Sproul

CHRISTOPHER SPROUL

Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 57 Filed 03/26/2007 Page 5 of 5 Case 3:06-cv-05159-WHA Document 58 Filed 03/27/07 Page 5 of 5