Source: https://www.stb.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/fc695db5bc7ebe2c852572b80040c45f/dd8128c608a44e7a852578220073e8d1?OpenDocument
Timestamp: 2017-09-20 22:06:26
Document Index: 297205599

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1104', '§ 10502', '§ 10901', '§ 1104', '§ 1104', '§ 11904', '§ 1150']

41322 - Decision
FD_35446_0
CITY OF TEMPLE, TEX.--ACQUISITION EXEMPTION--GEORGETOWN RAILROAD COMPANY
41322.pdf
41322 SERVICE DATE – LATE RLEASE JANUARY 24, 2011
Docket No. FD 35446
CITY OF TEMPLE, TEX.—ACQUISITION EXEMPTION—GEORGETOWN RAILROAD COMPANY
By motion filed December 15, 2010, the City of Temple, Tex. (Temple), seeks a protective order under 49 C.F.R. § 1104.14(b) to protect the confidential and commercially sensitive terms of the unredacted Purchase and Sale Agreement (Agreement), submitted under seal, between Temple and the Georgetown Railroad Company (Georgetown). Temple concurrently filed a petition under 49 U.S.C. § 10502 for exemption from the provisions of
49 U.S.C. § 10901 to acquire from Georgetown an approximately 6.277-mile line of railroad (the line) and the trackage rights granted to Georgetown to operate over the line, as described in the Agreement.[1] On December 30, 2010, Temple filed a redacted version of the Agreement.
Good cause exists to grant the motion for protective order. Temple submits that a protective order is necessary because the Agreement contains commercially sensitive and confidential information.
The motion conforms with the Board’s rules at 49 C.F.R. § 1104.14 governing protective orders to maintain the confidentiality of materials submitted to the Board. Issuance of the protective order will ensure that confidential information will be used solely for this proceeding and not for other purposes. Accordingly, the motion for protective order will be granted, and the Agreement shall be subject to the Protective Order and Undertakings, as modified in the Appendix to this decision.[2]
1. The motion for protective order is granted, and the Protective Order and Undertakings in the Appendix to this decision are adopted.
2. The unredacted Agreement submitted in Docket No. FD 35446 will be kept under seal by the Board and not placed in the public docket or otherwise disclosed to the public, unless the attached Undertakings are executed and the terms of the Protective Order are followed, or unless otherwise ordered by the Board.
(b) “Confidential Information” means traffic data (including but not limited to waybills, abstracts, study movement sheets, and any documents or computer tapes containing data derived from waybills, abstracts, study movement sheets, or other data bases, and cost workpapers), the identification of shippers and receivers in conjunction with shipper-specific or other traffic data, the confidential terms of contracts with shippers, confidential financial and cost data, and other confidential or proprietary business or personal information.
(c) “Designated Material” means any documents designated or stamped as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” in accordance with paragraphs 3 or 4 of this Protective Order, and any Confidential Information contained in such materials.
(d) These “Proceedings” consist of Docket No. FD 35446, any related proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board (Board), and any judicial review, proceedings arising from Docket No. FD 35446, or from any related proceedings before the Board.
2. Personnel of the City of Temple, Tex. (Temple), and Georgetown Railroad Co. (Georgetown), the parties involved in this matter, and their affiliates (collectively, the parties), including outside consultants and attorneys for Temple or parties (representatives), may exchange Confidential Information for the purpose of participating in these Proceedings, but not for any other business, commercial, or other competitive purpose.
3. If any party to these Proceedings determines that any part of a discovery request or response, of a transcript of a deposition or hearing, or of a pleading or other paper filed or served in these Proceedings contains Confidential Information or consists of Confidential Documents, then that party may designate or stamp such Confidential Information and Confidential Documents as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Any information or documents designated or stamped as “CONFIDENTIAL” shall be handled as provided for hereinafter, except that no prohibition in any subsequent paragraph is applicable to an exchange of information pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Protective Order.
4. Any party producing material in discovery to another party to these Proceedings, or submitting material in pleadings or other documents filed or served, may in good faith designate and stamp particular Confidential Information, such as material containing shipper-specific rate and cost data or other competitively sensitive or proprietary information, as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.” Any information or documents so designated or stamped shall be handled as provided hereinafter, except that no prohibition in any subsequent paragraph is applicable to an exchange of information pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Protective Order.
5. Information and documents designated or stamped as “CONFIDENTIAL” may not be disclosed in any way, directly or indirectly, or to any person or entity except to an employee, counsel, consultant, or agent of a party to these Proceedings, or an employee of such counsel, consultant, or agent, who, before receiving access to such information or documents, has been given and has read a copy of this Protective Order and has agreed to be bound by its terms by signing a confidentiality undertaking substantially in the form set forth at Exhibit A to this Order and providing a copy of the confidentiality undertaking to counsel for Temple.
6. Information and documents designated or stamped as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” may not be disclosed in any way, directly or indirectly, to any employee of a party to these Proceedings, or to any other person or entity except to an outside counsel or outside consultant to a party to these Proceedings, or to an employee of such outside counsel or outside consultant, who before receiving access to such information or documents, has been given and has read a copy of this Protective Order and has agreed to be bound by its terms by signing a confidentiality undertaking substantially in the form set forth at Exhibit B to this Order and providing a copy of the confidentiality undertaking to counsel for Temple.
7. Any party to these Proceedings may challenge the designation by any other party of information or documents as “CONFIDENTIAL” or as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” by filing a motion with the Board or with an administrative law judge or other officer to whom authority has been lawfully delegated by the Board to adjudicate such challenge(s).
8. Designated Material may not be used for any purposes other than these Proceedings, including without limitation any business, commercial, strategic, or competitive purpose.
9. Any party who received Designated Material in discovery shall destroy such materials and any notes or documents reflecting such materials (other than file copies of pleadings or other documents filed with the Board and retained by outside counsel for a party to these Proceedings) at the earlier of: (1) such time as the party receiving the materials withdraws from these Proceedings, or (2) the completion of these Proceedings, including any petitions for reconsideration, appeals, or remands.
10. No party may include Designated Material in any pleading, brief, discovery request or response, or other document submitted to the Board, unless the pleading or other document is submitted under seal in a package clearly marked on the outside as “Confidential Materials Subject to Protective Order.” See 49 C.F.R. § 1104.14. All pleadings and other documents so submitted shall be kept confidential by the Board and shall not be placed in the public docket in these Proceedings except by order of the Board or of an administrative law judge or other officer in the exercise of authority lawfully delegated by the Board.
11. No party may include Designated Material in any pleading, brief, discovery request or response, or other document submitted to any forum other than this Board in these Proceedings unless: (1) the pleading or other document is submitted under seal in accordance with a protective order that requires the pleading or other document to be kept confidential by that tribunal and not be placed in the public docket in that proceeding, or (2) the pleading or other document is submitted in a sealed package clearly marked, “Confidential Materials Subject to Request for Protective Order,” and is accompanied by a motion to that tribunal requesting issuance of a protective order that would require the pleading or other document be kept confidential and not be placed in the public docket in the proceeding, and requesting that if the motion for protective order is not issued by that tribunal, the pleading or other document be returned to the filing party.
12. No party may present or otherwise use any Designated Material at a Board hearing in these Proceedings, unless that party has previously submitted, under seal, all proposed exhibits and other documents containing or reflecting such Designated Material to the Board, to an administrative law judge, or to another officer to whom relevant authority has been lawfully delegated by the Board, and has accompanied such submission with a written request that the Board, administrative law judge, or other officer: (a) restrict attendance at the hearing during any discussion of such Designated Material, and (b) restrict access to any portion of the record or briefs reflecting discussion of such Designated Material in accordance with this Protective Order.
13. If any party intends to use any Designated Material in the course of any deposition in these Proceedings, that party shall so advise counsel for the party producing the Designated Material, counsel for the deponent, and all other counsel attending the deposition. Attendance at any portion of the deposition at which any Designated Material is used or discussed shall be restricted to persons who may review that material under the terms of this Protective Order. All portions of deposition transcripts or exhibits that consist of, refer to, or otherwise disclose Designated Material shall be filed under seal and be otherwise handled as provided in paragraph 10 of this Protective Order.
14. To the extent that materials reflecting Confidential Information are produced by a party in these Proceedings, and are held and/or used by the receiving person in compliance with paragraphs 1, 2, 3, or 4 above, such production, disclosure, holding, and use of the materials and of the data that the materials contain are deemed essential for the disposition of this and any related proceedings and will not be deemed a violation of 49 U.S.C. § 11904 or of any other relevant provision of the ICC Termination Act of 1995.
15. All parties executing a CONFIDENTIAL or HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL undertaking shall serve a copy upon the party providing the information.
16. All parties must comply with all of the provisions of this Protective Order unless the Board or an administrative law judge or other officer exercising authority lawfully delegated by the Board determines that good cause has been shown warranting suspension of any of the provisions herein.
17. Nothing in this Protective Order restricts the right of any party to disclose voluntarily any Confidential Information originated by that party, or to disclose voluntarily any Confidential Documents originated by that party, if such Confidential Information or Confidential Documents do not contain or reflect any Confidential Information originated by any other party.
18. Any party must file simultaneously a public version of any confidential submission it files with the Board.
I, ___________________________________, have read the Protective Order served on January 24, 2011, governing the production of confidential documents in Docket No. FD 35446, understand the same, and agree to be bound by its terms. I agree not to use or permit the use of any confidential data or information pursuant to this Undertaking, or to use or permit the use of any techniques disclosed or information learned as a result of receiving such data or information, for any purpose other than the preparation and presentation of evidence and argument in Docket No. FD 35446 or any judicial review proceeding arising therefrom. I further agree not to disclose any confidential data or information obtained under this Protective Order to any person who is not also bound by the terms of the Order and who has not executed an Undertaking in the form hereof. At the conclusion of this proceeding and any judicial review proceeding arising therefrom, I will promptly destroy any copies of such designated documents obtained or made by me or by any outside counsel or outside consultants working with me, provided, however, that outside counsel (but not outside consultants) may retain file copies of its work product and of pleadings and evidence filed with the Board, and in-house counsel may retain file copies of all pleadings and evidence containing confidential material it received during the course of this proceeding. I further understand that a party may retain its own confidential material.
I understand and agree that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for breach of this Undertaking and that a party which asserts the confidential interest shall be entitled to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for any such breach. I further agree to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy. Such remedy shall not be deemed to be the exclusive remedy for breach of this Undertaking but shall be in addition to all remedies available at law or equity.
As outside [counsel] [consultant] for ______________, for which I am acting in this proceeding, I have read the Protective Order served on January 24, 2011, governing the production of confidential documents in Docket No. FD 35446, understand the same, and agree to be bound by its terms. I also understand and agree, as a condition precedent to my receiving, reviewing, or using copies of any documents designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL,” that I will limit my use of those documents and the information they contain to the preparation and presentation of evidence and argument in Docket No. FD 35446 and any judicial review proceeding arising therefrom, that I will take all necessary steps to ensure that said documents and information will be kept on a confidential basis by any outside counsel or outside consultants working with me, that under no circumstances will I permit access to said documents or information by personnel of my client, its subsidiaries, affiliates, or owners, except as otherwise provided in the Protective Order, and that at the conclusion of this proceeding and any judicial review proceeding arising therefrom, I will promptly destroy any copies of such designated documents obtained or made by me or by any outside counsel or outside consultants working with me, provided, however, that outside counsel (but not outside consultants) may retain file copies of its work and of any pleadings and evidence filed with the Board. I further understand that I must destroy all notes or other documents containing such highly confidential information received from the other party in compliance with the terms of the Protective Order. Under no circumstances will I permit access to documents designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” by, or disclose any information contained therein to, any persons or entities for which I am not acting in this proceeding.
I understand and agree that money damages would not be a sufficient remedy for breach of this Undertaking and that a party which asserts the highly confidential interest shall be entitled to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief as a remedy for any such breach. I further agree to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy. Such remedy shall not be deemed to be the exclusive remedy for breach of this Undertaking but shall be in addition to all remedies available at law or equity.
[1] In a related transaction, Temple & Central Texas Railway, Inc., a Class III carrier, filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. § 1150.41 to operate over the line. That notice was served and published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 77,044). Temple & Central Tex. Ry.—Operation Exemption—City of Temple, Tex., FD 35447 (STB served Dec. 10, 2010).
[2] A proposed protective order and undertaking were included with the motion.