Document:

EXHIBIT 4.5

 

 

Employment
agreements – Mr Joseph J Whiteside

 

The employment agreements of Mr Joseph J Whiteside are
incorporated by reference to National Australia Bank Limited’s Annual Report on
Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2002 as filed with the
Commission on November 26, 2002.Exhibit 10.34

 

2004-05 STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL APPLIANCE RECYCLING
PROGRAM AGREEMENT

 

 

BETWEEN

 

ARCA CALIFORNIA, INC.

 

AND

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY

 

 

This program is funded by California utility customers and
administered by Southern California Edison Company under the auspices of the
California Public Utilities Commission.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
  1  
  DEFINITIONS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  2   GENERAL TERMS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  3   CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  4  
  CONTRACTOR RECYCLING SERVICES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  5   CONTRACTOR REPORTS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  6   CONTRACTOR CUSTOMER COMPLAINT AND DISPUTE
  RESOLUTION PROCESS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  7   ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS AND REFRIGERATORS AND
  FREEZERS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  8  
  INELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS AND REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  9  
  CONTRACTOR’S COMPENSATION

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  10   CONTRACTOR BILLING

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  11   SCE RESPONSIBILITIES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  12  
  OWNERSHIP AND CUSTOMER CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  13   CONFLICT OF INTEREST

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  14  
  RIGHT TO AUDIT AND INSPECT; RECORDKEEPING

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  15  
  CHANGES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  16  
  PERMITS, CODES AND STATUTES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  17  
  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  18   TITLE

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  19  
  INSURANCE

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  20  
  INDEMNITY

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  21   TERM AND TERMINATION

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  22  
  STOP WORK

  	
   

  

 

 

	
  23  
  WRITTEN NOTICES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  24  
  SUBCONTRACTS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  25  
  INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  26   NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  27  
  CPUC AUTHORITY TO MODIFY

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  28  
  NON-WAIVER

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  29  
  ASSIGNMENT

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  30  
  FORCE MAJEURE

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  31  
  DISPUTE RESOLUTION

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  32  
  SEVERABILITY

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  33  
  GOVERNING LAW

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  34  
  SECTION HEADINGS

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  35  
  SURVIVAL

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  36  
  NONRELIANCE

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  37  
  ATTORNEYS’ FEES

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  38  
  COOPERATION

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  39  
  ENTIRE AGREEMENT

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  40  
  COUNTERPARTS

  	
   

  

 

 

THIS
AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is effective as of the 1st day of January, 2004
(“Effective Date”) by and between SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY, a California corporation (“SCE”) and ARCA CALIFORNIA, INC., a California
corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Appliance Recycling Centers of
America, Inc. (“Contractor”).  SCE and
Contractor are also each individually referred to herein as “Party” and
collectively as “Parties.”

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS the Parties desire to implement an appliance recycling program
during Program Years 2004 and 2005 under the terms and conditions required by
the California Public Utilities Commission and as set forth herein, for the
removal of older, working inefficient refrigerators and freezers (“Eligible
Refrigerators and Freezers”) (“the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance
Recycling Program” or “Program”) from customer residences in the service
territory of SCE.

 

WHEREAS, SCE desires to ensure the safe, lawful recovery and recycling
or lawful disposal, as necessary, of CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, PCBs, mercury, and used
oil and Hazardous Materials.

 

WHEREAS, SCE desires to contract with Contractor for the comprehensive
management of the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program in
the SCE Territory.

 

WHEREAS, Contractor desires to contract with SCE for the comprehensive
implementation of recycling services of the 2004-05 Statewide Residential
Appliance Recycling Program in the SCE Territory, said management to include,
without limitation, the collection, disabling and proper disposal of primary
and secondary working Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers; removal of CFCs,
HCFCs, HFCs, PCBs, mercury and other Hazardous Materials from collected
Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers; handling storage and legal disposal of
compressor oil, PCBs and other Hazardous Materials; recycling of metal, sulfur
dioxide, CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs and oil; providing incentives to participating
customers of SCE and SDG&E who relinquish Eligible Refrigerators and
Freezers, performance of a Program Participant survey, and providing reports
and data to assist SCE in tracking program goals and expenditures and
evaluating the program.

 

 

WHEREAS, Contractor represents (i) that it has knowledge of the federal
Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Toxic Substances
Control Act as well as the California Health and Safety Act (Article 10.1,
commencing with Section 25211 of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20), the California
Public Resources Code (Chapter 3.5, commencing with Section 42160 of Part 3 of
Division 30), and all other applicable federal, state, and local regulations
regarding the proper processing and recycling of refrigerators and freezers and
hazardous materials contained within the refrigerators and freezers; (ii) that
it has knowledge of the hazards associated with the removal, handling, storage,
recycling, and legal disposal of hazardous materials; (iii) that it has
experience and expertise in such removal, handling, storage, recycling, and
legal disposal; (iv) that it uses only qualified personnel, (including
subcontractor’s and agent’s personnel) who have been instructed and certified
in the proper safety procedures to be used in such removal, handling, storage,
recycling, or legal disposal, and (v) that it has established and will continue
to operate and maintain its recycling center in the City of Compton or other
areas acceptable to Contractor and SCE.

 

WHEREAS, the Parties hereto desire to set forth terms and conditions
under which the aforesaid management services shall be performed and which
shall constitute the Parties’ agreement.

 

NOW THEREFORE, for valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as follows:

 

1.             DEFINITIONS

 

1.1           Agreement:
This document, the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement as amended
from time to time.

 

1.2           Amendment:  Future document signed by the authorized
representatives of both Parties which changes or modifies the terms of this
Agreement.

 

1.3           Business
Day:  The period from one midnight to
the following midnight, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

 

1.4           Calendar
Day:  The period from one midnight to
the following midnight, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

 

1.5           CFCs:
Chlorofluorocarbons.  (See also HCFCs
and HFCs.)

 

 

1.6           CFC-11:
Chlorofluorocarbons used as the blowing agent in the refrigerator and freezer
polyurethane foam insulation.

 

 

1.7           Change
Order: Document issued by SCE to Contractor and accepted by Contractor that
changes or modifies the terms of this Agreement.

 

1.8           Contract
Period: January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005
for completion of the Work, unless otherwise terminated pursuant to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement.

 

1.9           CPUC:
the California Public Utilities Commission.

 

1.10         Disposition
Code:  Code assigned to each customer
appliance turn-in order form (ATO) that identifies whether a working or
non-working Refrigerator or Freezer was collected, or disabled with the
customer’s permission, if the order was cancelled by the customer, which
incentive was selected, and other similar details regarding each order.

 

1.11         Documentation:
Specifications, procedures, instructions, reports, test results, analyses,
calculations, manuals, and other data specified in the Purchase Order, Change
Order, this Agreement, and any amendment to this Agreement, as required by any
legal entity having jurisdiction over the Work.

 

1.12         Eligible
Customer: For purposes of this Agreement, an Eligible Customer is a resident in
SCE’s service territory who occupies an existing single-family residential
(Domestic Rate) or multi-unit dwelling or mobile home, or is the owner or
authorized representative of existing multifamily housing and who may qualify
for the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program.  Eligible Customers include customers who
reside in the SCE’s service territory but who take distribution services from
an entity other than SCE.  (See Section
7 of this Agreement.)

 

1.13           Eligible
Refrigerators and Freezers: Refrigerators and freezers that meet the 2004-05
Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program refrigerator and freezer
eligibility criteria as set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement.

 

1.14         Hard-to-Reach:
Eligible Customers who are residents of areas other than the Los Angeles basin
and/or are moderate income and/or multifamily or mobile home tenants and are
within the zip codes listed.

 

 

1.15         Hazardous
Materials: Any substance or material which has been designated as hazardous or
toxic by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control and/or any other governmental agency now or
hereinafter authorized to regulate materials in the environment, including, but
not limited to “Materials which require special handling” as defined in
California Public Resources Code Section 42167 or other applicable code, rule
or regulation, which is contained in or is derived from the Eligible
Refrigerators or Freezers.

 

1.16         HCFCs
and HFCs: hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons.  (See also CFCs.)

 

1.17         PCB:
Polychlorinated Biphenyl.

 

1.18         PGC
funds: Public Goods Charge Funds.  The
source of the funds used to pay Contractor for work performed pursuant to this
Agreement.

 

1.19         Primary
Refrigerator or Freezer: Refrigerator or freezer currently in use by customer
as the main refrigerator or freezer.

 

1.20         Program
Participants: Eligible Customers who turn in Eligible Refrigerators or Freezers
during the Contract Period.

 

1.21         Program
Year 2004:  January 1, 2004 – December
31, 2004, unless otherwise directed by the CPUC.

 

1.22         Program
Year 2005:  January 1, 2005 – December
31, 2005, unless otherwise directed by the CPUC.

 

1.23         Purchase
Order: Document issued by SCE to facilitate payment to Contractor for the Work
described herein.

 

1.24         Recycling
Center: The site at which Contractor will process Eligible Refrigerators and
Freezers, remove CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, PCBs and other Hazardous Materials, and
recycle or legally dispose of Hazardous materials.

 

1.25         Recycling
Charge: Per-unit price paid by SCE for services performed by Contractor for the
Work.  The Recycling Charge does not
include marketing or incentive charges.

 

 

1.26         Remote
Area: A city or town that, because of its population and distance from the
Contractor’s base of operations, justifies the use of an extended timeframe (up
to 25 Business Days from the initial customer contact) to complete collection
when mutually agreed to by the Parties.

 

 

1.27         Secondary
Refrigerator or Freezer: Surplus refrigerator or freezer currently in use and
utilized by customer concurrently with primary refrigerator or freezer.

 

1.28         2004-05
Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program: 2004-05 statewide appliance
recycling program approved by the CPUC to be implemented in service territory
of SCE.

 

1.29         Subcontractor:
An entity contracting directly or indirectly with Contractor to furnish
services or materials as part of or directly related to Contractor’s Work.

 

1.30         Utility:
SCE.

 

1.31         Work:
Any and all obligations of Contractor to be performed for SCE and Eligible
Customers of SCE pursuant to and during the Term of this Agreement, any
Amendment to this Agreement, or a subsequent Purchase Order or Change Order
incorporating this Agreement.  The Work
shall include the services described in Sections 4, 5, 6, and 10 of this
Agreement, but is not limited to, Eligible Refrigerator and Freezer scheduling
and collection, Eligible Refrigerator and Freezer processing, handling,
storing, recycling, and legal disposal of Hazardous Materials and Documentation
preparation, customer complaint resolution and other related activities.

 

2.             GENERAL TERMS

 

Contractor
shall perform the Work and its associated obligations described below as an
independent contractor during the Term of this Agreement.

 

 

3.             CONTRACT
DOCUMENTS

 

This
Agreement shall consist of the following documents: this Agreement, any
amendments to this Agreement, Purchase Orders, and Change Orders.  In the event of any conflict or apparent
conflict between any of the provisions of the documents comprising this
Agreement, the following order of construction of the documents shall apply:

 

(i)            Amendments
to the Agreement in chronological order from the most recent to the earliest;

 

(ii)           Change
Orders incorporating and reflecting any Amendments to the Agreement in
chronological order from the most recent to the earliest;

 

(iii)          This Agreement; and

 

(iv)          Purchase Order incorporating this Agreement.

 

Each
Party shall notify the other immediately upon the identification of any such
conflict or inconsistency.

 

4.             CONTRACTOR RECYCLING SERVICES

 

4.1           Contractor
shall be responsible for Program Participant service activities in SCE’s
service territory, including providing an inbound 800 telephone number for
customers to access in English or Spanish, a web page which allows statewide
customer access for inquiries and/or qualification and to signup for
appointments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all communication services,
verification of customer and refrigerator or freezer eligibility, scheduling
Eligible Refrigerator and Freezer collection appointments, documentation of
Program Participant data, and other activities.  The web site content shall be approved by SCE.  Any changes to the content must be reviewed
and approved by SCE prior to implementation.

 

 

4.2           Contractor
shall be responsible for the following collection services in SCE’s service
territory:

 

(i)    Collect all
Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers from Eligible Customers’ residences within
20 Business Days from the date the Refrigerator or Freezer was scheduled for
pickup (unless otherwise requested by the Eligible Customer).  In Remote Areas of the service territory, or
as approved by SCE’s Program Manager, collection shall be no later than 25
Business Days from the date the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer was scheduled
for pickup, unless otherwise requested by the Eligible Customer.  In the event of unanticipated high demand
for Program services, Contractor and the SCE Program Manager shall, by mutual
agreement, establish other appropriate time limitations as necessary.

 

Contractor
shall dedicate 14 international straight trucks with 24’ cargo boxes and
hydraulic lift gates solely to performing the Work.

 

A
twenty-five percent (25%) reduction in the Recycling Charge shall be made by
SCE if Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers are collected later than 20 Business
Days after the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer was scheduled for pickup or 25
Business Days in Remote Areas of each Utility’s service territory after the
Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer was scheduled for pickup, unless the Eligible
Customer requested the later collection date or the Contractor and the SCE
Program Manager established, by mutual agreement, other appropriate time
limitations.

 

(ii)   Ensure that
the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer is a working (cooling) unit before
removing it from a  residence;

 

(iii)  Ensure the Eligible
Refrigerator or Freezer was manufactured prior to 1990;

 

(iv)  Disable the
Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer by cutting through the electrical cord prior
to leaving pick-up location; and

 

(v)   Transport
and process the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer at its Recycling Center.

 

 

Contractor
represents and warrants that no refrigerator or freezer, nor any component
thereof, picked up by Contractor or a Subcontractor in the performance of the
Work, shall be resold or reused.

 

 

4.3           Contractor
shall be solely responsible for all methods, techniques, sequences, and
procedures for the dismantling of Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers,
processing of metal panels and components, recycling of recovered scrap metal,
glass and plastics, removal and management including, but not limited to,
recycling or lawful disposal of Hazardous Materials.

 

4.4           Contractor
shall be solely responsible for all methods, techniques, sequences, and
procedures for the removal and management of all capacitors found in Eligible
Refrigerators and Freezers, and the removal and disposal of compressor oil,
CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, PCBs, mercury and other Hazardous Materials from the time
Contractor collects Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers pursuant to this
Agreement.

 

4.5           Contractor
and SCE shall establish and implement a financial incentive service as follows:

 

4.5.1        Each
Program Participant will be entitled to receive a check in the amount of
Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00).  The check
is referred to as the “Incentive”.

 

4.5.2        Contractor
shall process and mail an Incentive check to each Program Participant via the
U.S. Postal System within 15 Business Days of the date such Program
Participant’s Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer was picked up.

 

4.5.3        As
required under Section 10, Contractor shall provide SCE with a weekly listing
of Program Participants qualifying for an Incentive check for SCE’s
approval.  The weekly listing shall
include the Program Participants’ names and addresses, ATO numbers, and dates
of pickup

 

4.5.8        Upon
SCE’s reimbursement of Contractor for the $35.00 Incentive described in Section
4 of this Agreement, SCE shall be under no further obligation with respect to
reimbursement of such amounts and such reimbursement shall constitute full
payment to Contractor on behalf of the Program Participants entitled to receive
such Incentives.  Moreover, upon SCE’s
payment to Contractor of such reimbursement, Contractor shall be deemed the
holder of such property as far as the interests of the Program Participants for
any and all purposes, including, but not limited to, complying with the
unclaimed property 

 

 

laws
of California and any and all other applicable states.  SCE shall not assume any responsibility for
other disposition of the reimbursement payments after such reimbursement is
paid to Contractor and shall not be entitled to the reversion of any amounts so
paid.

 

4.7           Contractor’s
Customer Eligibility Inquiry List.  Contractor shall provide SCE
with its Customer Eligibility Inquiry Customer Eligibility Inquiry list
within five (5) Business Days of receipt of SCE’s relevant customer records
provided to Contractor for purposes of identifying Eligible Customers.

 

4.8           Contractor
services documentation and record maintenance services. 
Contractor shall document and maintain records for services performed
under this Agreement as follows:

 

4.8.1        Appliance
Turn-in Order Form (ATO) to collect data such as (a) customer name, address,
home and work phone numbers, (b) SCE account number, (c) Eligible Refrigerator
or Freezer manufacturer’s name model and style, (d) defrost type, color, size,
amperage, and age of unit; (e) location of Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer
within the residence, (f) disposition code, (g) identification of units
containing CFC-11, HCFCs and HFCs, (h) special pick-up instructions (if
applicable), and (i) in all cases each participating Eligible Customer’s
signature, when Contractor picks up an Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer.  Contractor shall obtain the signature of
customer in the event refrigerator or freezer is discovered not to be an
Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer.

 

ATO
data shall be compiled in electronic mode, employing a software program
suitable for exchange of information with SCE, subject to the approval of SCE’s
Program Manager.

 

Contractor
shall utilize a computer software program designed to assign a Disposition Code
to each ATO for each Program Participant.

 

ATO
originals shall be maintained at the Contractor’s Recycling Center and made
available to SCE in accordance with Section 14 of this Agreement.

 

 

4.9           Contractor
Survey.  Contractor shall conduct a
Program Participant telephone survey throughout the year, using a stratified
purposeful sample of 5% to 20% of the total number of Program Participants.  The stratification and frequency of the
survey may be modified periodically by SCE, provided that an Amendment to this
Agreement or a separate agreement shall be entered into if any such
modification necessitates unreasonable labor, as substantiated by Contractor,
requiring the negotiation of a charge separate from the Recycling Charge.  The purpose of the survey shall be to elicit
information such as refrigerator or freezer use, customer demographics and
customer satisfaction.  Survey
questions, stratification and frequency of survey may be modified periodically
as determined by SCE provided modified survey is reasonably comparable.

 

5.             CONTRACTOR
REPORTS

 

5.1           Contractor
shall provide SCE with reports on the Work performed under this Agreement.  Required data shall be compiled in
electronic mode, employing software suitable to exchange information with SCE,
subject to approval of SCE’s Program Manager. 
SCE requests that Contractor submit program documentation, including
invoices, electronically.

 

5.1.1        A
weekly invoice report as described below in Section 10;

 

5.1.2.       A weekly
check disbursement report that corresponds to a weekly invoice that shall
include the Program Participants names and addresses, ATO numbers, dates of
pickup, and the dates the Incentive checks were mailed

 

5.1.3        A
weekly program status report which shall contain scheduled, cancelled and
billed pickups delineating such by hard-to-reach (HTR) and non-HTR.

 

5.1.4        A
monthly report, provided no later than the 15th Calendar Day of the preceding
month’s activity which shall contain the following:

 

(i)    Number of
Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers processed through the Recycling Center
during the previous month and the manufacturer’s name, model and style, color,
size in cubic feet, age of unit, and defrost type.

 

 

(ii)   Environmental
data such as an estimated breakdown of amount of CFCs/HCFCs/HFCs recovered;
number of pounds of PCB articles removed; number of pounds of mercury articles
removed, number and size of recycled Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers
containing CFC-11;  amount of compressor oil recycled; and
weight of metals materials sold for recycling: and the weight of non-recyclable
materials disposed.

 

5.1.5                An
annual Program report summarizing Program Year 2004 information shall be
submitted to SCE within 30 days after final collection of outstanding 2004
scheduled pickups.

 

5.1.6                An
annual Program report summarizing Program Year 2005 information shall be
submitted to SCE within 30 days after final collection of outstanding 2005
scheduled pickups.

 

5.1.7        Customer
Comments and Complaints Report.  Contractor shall provide SCE with a monthly
status report on customer comments and status of customer complaints (on a
cumulative basis) as described below in Section 6.

 

5.1.8        Appliance
Collection Reports. A report
indicating the number of Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers that were
collected during the preceding month and that were scheduled for collection
from Eligible Customers during that month, the date of the initial contact with
the Eligible Customer, any subsequent rescheduled dates initiated by Eligible
Customer, the date or dates the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer was scheduled
for collection, and the actual collection date.

 

5.1.9        Upon
reasonable oral or written request from an authorized representative of SCE,
special and nonrecurring reports during the course of the 2004-05 Statewide
Residential Appliance Recycling Program. 
Such report content will be developed by the Parties in anticipation of
or response to requests from the CPUC, SCE internal audits, or compilation of
data relevant to the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program
activities.  An amendment to this
Agreement or a separate agreement shall be entered into only if any 

 

 

such
report necessitates a substantial change in labor, as substantiated by
Contractor, requiring the negotiation of a charge separate from the Recycling
Charge.

 

 

6.             CONTRACTOR
CUSTOMER COMPLAINT
AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS.

 

6.1           Contractor
shall be responsible, to the complete satisfaction of SCE, for developing and
implementing a process for the management of customer complaints.   Contractor shall undertake activities to
resolve customer complaints in an expedited manner including, but not limited
to:  (a) ensuring adequate levels of
professional customer service staff, (b) direct access of customer complaints
to supervisory and/or management personnel, and (c) ensuring sufficient levels
of delivery personnel expected during times of high volume.

 

Any
customer questions or disputes that cannot be answered or resolved by Contractor
shall be referred to SCE’s program manager within 24 hours of occurrence.

 

6.2           A
Customer Comment Tracking System for recording customer inquiries, complaints,
and positive feedback.  This Customer
Comment Tracking System is to include, but is not limited to, dates of customer
complaints, information on the number, characterization, resolution of customer
complaints, date of each complaint resolution, and tracking of the total number
of telephone calls, duration of calls, number of calls placed on hold, duration
of time calls are on hold, and number of cancelled calls (hang-ups).

 

7.             ELIGIBLE
CUSTOMERS AND
REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

 

7.1           Eligible Customers shall include the following:

 

7.1.1        Customer
is a resident in SCE’s service territory and occupies an existing single-family
residential (Domestic Rate) or multi-unit dwelling or mobile home, or is the
owner or authorized representative of existing multifamily housing and who may
qualify for the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program.  Eligible customers include customers who
reside in SCE’s service territory but who take distribution services from an
entity other than SCE.

 

 

(i)            Contractor
shall determine a customer’s eligibility status before Contractor picks up a unit from a customer.

 

(ii)           Failure
to verify customer eligibility shall result in nonpayment of fees.

 

7.1.2        Customer
is the owner of the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer  or possesses written consent from the actual owner to turn in
the Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer.

 

7.1.3        Customer
turns in no more than two Eligible Refrigerators or Freezers or one each
Eligible Refrigerator and Freezer per year unless written SCE approval is
obtained for any additional Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer.  SCE shall not be obligated to pay Contractor
the Incentive check amount or Recycling Charge for any Eligible Refrigerator or
Freezer picked up from an Eligible Customer that exceeds the limit of two
Eligible Refrigerators or Freezers.

 

7.2           Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers for the 2004-05 Statewide Residential
Appliance Recycling Program shall depend on the following:

 

7.2.1        Refrigerator
or freezer must be capable of cooling or freezing, or both, as applicable, at
time of collection.

 

7.2.2        Refrigerator
or freezer minimum size is 14 cubic feet and maximum size is 27 cubic feet.

 

7.2.3        Refrigerator
or freezer was manufactured prior to 1990.

 

8.             INELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS AND REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

 

8.1           Ineligible
Customers

 

8.1.2        Low
income customers who participate in a SCE’s refrigerator replacement program
for low-income customers in 2004-05.

 

8.1.3        Commercial
customers who are on commercial SCE rates

 

8.1.4        A
resident in a non-participating utility service territory.

 

 

8.2           Ineligible Refrigerators and Freezers

 

8.2.1        Refrigerators
or freezers sizes less than 14 cubic feet or greater than 27 cubic feet.

 

8.2.2        Refrigerators
or freezers containing sulphur dioxide (SO2) or ammonia.

 

8.2.3        Commercial
refrigerators or freezers, ammonia-containing gas refrigerators, commercial
freezers, and room air conditioners

 

8.2.4        Refrigerators
or freezers not capable of cooling or freezing or both, as applicable.

 

8.2.5        Refrigerators
or freezers manufactured during or after 1990.

 

9.             CONTRACTOR’S COMPENSATION 

 

9.1           Summary
of Fees Payable to Contractor

 

Program
Year 2004.  SCE shall pay Contractor as
full compensation for completing the Work during 2004.  The total amount to
be paid to Contractor for Work performed in accordance with the terms and
conditions of this Agreement shall not exceed the 2004 Maximum Aggregate
Amount.

 

Program
Year 2005.  SCE shall pay Contractor as
full compensation for completing the Work during 2005.  The total amount to be paid to Contractor
for Work performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement
shall not exceed the 2005 Maximum Aggregate Amount.

 

9.1.1        Recycling
Charge.  SCE
shall pay to Contractor a per-unit Recycling Charge for the number of units
collected pursuant to this Agreement.

 

9.1.2        Incentive
Cost.  SCE shall reimburse Contractor $35 for each
Incentive check payment distributed to Program Participants under the terms and
conditions of this Agreement.

 

 

9.2           Payment
schedule.

 

SCE
shall transmit payments to Contractor for the Work (subject to offset by SCE
for any amount that is unsubstantiated or found to be incorrect) as follows:

 

(i)            For
Incentive check reimbursement, within thirty (30) Calendar Days of receipt in
SCE’s Accounts Payable Division and Energy Efficiency Division of Contractor’s
weekly invoice and approval by SCE;

 

 

(ii)           For
Recycling Charges incurred, within thirty (30) Calendar Days of receipt in
SCE’s Accounts Payable Division and Energy Efficiency Division of Contractor’s
weekly invoice and approval by SCE;

 

SCE
shall attempt to review and approve all weekly invoices within 5 Business Days
of receipt in SCE’s Accounts Payable Division and Energy Efficiency Division of
a properly documented invoice. 
Contractor shall submit its invoices to Energy Efficiency Division via
SCE’s Program Manager at the contact information set forth in Section 23
below.  Contractor shall submit its
invoices to SCE’s Accounts Payable Division in accordance with the instructions
in the Purchase Order.

 

10.           CONTRACTOR
BILLING

 

10.1         On a
weekly basis, in arrears, Contractor shall prepare and electronically submit
two weekly invoices to SCE as specified above to substantiate the Recycling
Charges, and Incentive check amounts due for Contractor’s recycling services
and payments to Program Participants for the prior week.  Contractor shall provide SCE with a weekly
listing of prospective Program Participants. 
The weekly listing shall include the Program Participants’ names and
addresses, dates of unit pickups, and the dates the Incentive checks were mailed.

 

The
weekly Recycling Charges invoice shall include the Refrigerators and Freezers
collected, processed, and recycled during the invoice period and the total
invoice amount.  Contractor shall
provide with each invoice Program Participants’ weekly listing including ATO
number, service date, recycling charge for the first unit, recycling charge for
second unit, if applicable, and total number of units and total recycling
charge amount invoiced.

 

The
weekly Participants Incentive Checks invoice shall include the per-unit
Incentive for the Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers payments to Program
Participants.  Contractor shall provide
with each invoice Program Participants’ weekly listing including participants’
names, ATO numbers, appliance type, pickup date, and total number of units and
total Incentives amount invoiced.

 

 

10.2         SCE
will not pay any invoice which does not contain all required documentation and
information.

 

 

10.3         SCE
will not pay any invoice that includes charges (Recycling Charges Incentive
check amounts) for Work performed or services rendered more than 60 days prior
to the date the invoice is received by SCE unless the delay is solely
attributable to SCE’s failure to timely furnish the information referenced in
Section 11.

 

10.4         Contractor
shall apply a per-unit Recycling Charge on units that have been disabled, and
only for the following transactions:

 

10.4.1      Collection
of an Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer.

 

10.4.2      Collection
contact made for Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer that cannot be removed due to
obstruction because of size or structural barrier, provided that Contractor obtains written permission from
Customer to permanently disable said unit, and Contractor then permanently
disables the unit.

 

10.5         Contractor
shall submit a final invoice as specified in Section 9.2 above for the Contract
Period within 15 Calendar Days after the termination or expiration of this
Agreement or final Eligible Refrigerator or Freezer pickup, whichever occurs
later, in hard copy and in electronic format acceptable to SCE.  Failure to submit the invoice and required
documentation to SCE within 15 Calendar Days may result in nonpayment of the
invoice by SCE.

 

11.           SCE
RESPONSIBILITIES

 

11.1         SCE shall provide to Contractor the following services:

 

11.1.1      Weekly
updates of SCE’s Customer Records for purposes of identifying Eligible
Customers.

 

11.1.2      Customer
lookups within five (5) Business Days of receipt of Contractor’s Customer
Eligibility Inquiry list.

 

11.1.3      If SCE
fails to provide Contractor the required data within the time frames specified
above in this section, then the reporting time frames stipulated in Section 5
shall be extended by the number of Business Days the information is delayed.

 

 

12.           OWNERSHIP AND CUSTOMER CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS

 

12.1         Contractor,
its employees, and any Subcontractors shall not disclose any Confidential
Customer Information (defined below) to any person other than SCE’s personnel
either during the Term of this Agreement or after its completion, without
Contractor having obtained the prior written consent of SCE, except as provided
by lawful court order or subpoena and provided Contractor gives SCE advance
written notice of such order or subpoena.

 

12.1.1      “Confidential
Customer Information” includes, but is not limited to, the customer’s name,
address, account number and all billing and usage information.  If Contractor is uncertain whether any
information concerning a customer should be considered Confidential Customer
Information, Contractor shall contact SCE prior to disclosing the customer
information.

 

12.1.3      Prior to
any approved disclosure of Confidential Customer Information, Contractor must
enter into a nondisclosure agreement with SCE.

 

12.1.3      This
provision does not prohibit Contractor from disclosing non-confidential
information concerning the Work to the CPUC in any CPUC proceeding, or any
CPUC-sanctioned meeting or proceeding or other public forum.

 

12.2         All
materials provided by SCE to Contractor during the performance of this
Agreement shall be returned to SCE after this Agreement is terminated or at the
request of SCE.  Contractor shall not
duplicate any material furnished by SCE without prior written approval from
SCE.

 

12.3         All
new, original information, material, and documents prepared or caused to be
prepared under this Agreement by Contractor using PGC funds shall become the
property of the CPUC.  Such information,
or derivative information, materials, and documents, shall be used by
Contractor only for work performed pursuant to this Agreement, and shall not be
used in Contractor’s general course of business, disclosed nor revealed in 

 

 

any
way to a third party without the prior express written consent of SCE.

 

 

12.4         Contractor
Confidential Information

 

12.4.1      Except as
required by the CPUC, SCE, its employees and any Subcontractors of SCE shall
not disclose any confidential or proprietary information provided to SCE by
Contractor (“Contractor’s Confidential Information”) to any person other than
Contractor’s personnel, either during the Term of the Agreement, or after its completion,
without having obtained the prior written consent of Contractor.  By way of example, Contractor’s Confidential
Information shall include, without limitation, Contractor’s systems for oil
degassing, CFC recovery, CFC-11 and HCFC and HCF and PCB recovery and
Contractor’s computer software.  Prior
to any approved disclosure, persons to receive Contractor’s Confidential
Information, including SCE, its employees or any third-party, must enter into a
nondisclosure agreement with Contractor. 
SCE agrees to require its employees to execute appropriate nondisclosure
agreements prior to any contact with, or evaluation of Contractor’s
Confidential Information

 

12.4.2      SCE
agrees that, except as otherwise required by the CPUC, without the prior
written consent of Contractor, SCE will not, during the Term or after
termination or expiration of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, disclose
to any individual, corporation, or other entity, or use for its own or such
other’s benefit, any of Contractor’s Confidential Information, whether reduced
to written or other tangible form, which:

 

(i)            Is
not generally known to the public or in the industry;

 

(ii)           Has
been treated by Contractor or any of its subsidiaries as confidential or
proprietary; and

 

(iii)          Is of
a competitive advantage to Contractor or any of its subsidiaries and in the
confidentiality of which Contractor or any of its subsidiaries has a legally
protectable interest.

 

12.4.3      Contractor’s
Confidential Information which becomes generally known to the public or in the
industry, or, in the 

 

 

confidentiality
of which, Contractor and its subsidiaries cease to have a legally protectable
interest, shall cease to be subject to the restrictions of this Section 12.

 

 

13.           CONFLICT OF
INTEREST

 

Contractor
agrees that time is of the essence for the Work described herein.  Contractor further agrees that any agreement
it has, or in which it may enter with other parties (e.g., utilities or
government agencies) for a recycling program, shall not detrimentally affect the
quality or timeliness of Contractor’s performance of the Work required under
this Agreement.

 

14.           RIGHT TO AUDIT AND INSPECT; RECORDKEEPING

 

14.1         SCE
and/or its designated representatives shall have the right to periodically
audit, during normal business hours, the records and documents in Contractor’s
possession or under its control, relating to the Work, upon reasonable advance
written notice to Contractor.  This
right to audit shall extend for a period of five (5) years beyond the
termination or expiration of this Agreement. 
Contractor agrees to allow SCE or its designated representatives
reasonable access to such records during normal business hours and to allow
interviews of any employees who might reasonably have information related to
such records.  Further, Contractor
represents and warrants that Contractor shall contractually require all
Subcontractors to provide SCE reasonable access to relevant records and staff
of all Subcontractors concerning the Work.

 

14.2         SCE
and/or its designated representatives shall have the right to periodically
inspect, during normal business hours, Contractor’s facilities, including
trucks, used in performing the Work, upon reasonable advance written notice to
Contractor.  This right to inspect shall
extend for a period of five (5) years beyond the termination or expiration of
this Agreement.  Contractor agrees to
allow SCE and/or its designated representatives reasonable access to such
facilities during normal business hours and to allow interviews of any
employees who might reasonably have information related to such
facilities.  Further, Contractor
represents and warrants that Contractor shall contractually require all
Subcontractors to provide SCE reasonable access to facilities and staff of all
Subcontractors used in performing the Work.

 

14.3         Contractor
shall retain, and shall cause its Subcontractors to retain, all records and
documents pertaining to the Work for a 

 

 

period
of not less than 5 years beyond the termination or expiration of this
Agreement.

 

 

15.           CHANGES

 

Changes
to this Agreement shall be made by mutual agreement of the Parties through a
written amendment to the Agreement. 
Such written amendment may be incorporated into this Agreement through a
subsequent Purchase Order or Change Order.

 

16.           PERMITS, CODES, AND STATUTES

 

16.1         Contractor
shall perform the Work set forth in this Agreement in accordance with all
applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and/or ordinances.  Prior to performance of any services,
Contractor shall, at its own cost, have obtained, and shall have required all
Subcontractors to obtain, all licenses and permits required by law, rule,
regulation, and ordinance, or any of them, to engage in the activities required
in connection with this transaction. 
Contractor also represents and warrants that, to the best of its
knowledge, based upon reasonable and prudent inquiry, any storage site and any
disposal facility to which the Hazardous Materials may be moved are in
compliance with any and all federal, state and local laws and regulations
pertaining thereto and that such storage sites and disposal facilities are
suitable and may lawfully receive and/or dispose of the Hazardous materials.

 

16.2         Contractor
shall comply with all applicable local, state, and federal safety and health
laws in effect at the date of this Agreement, including, but not limited to,
EPA, California EPA, RCRA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
(OSHA), and all standards, rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to
such local, state, and federal safety and health laws.  Should any such law, rule, or regulation be
enacted or promulgated subsequent to the date of this Agreement, which renders
Contractor’s performance impractical, Contractor and SCE shall, in good faith,
negotiate an amendment to this Agreement reasonably compensating Contractor for
its additional costs.

 

17.           REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Contractor
represents and warrants to SCE that the Work shall be performed in a competent
manner, in accordance with this Agreement, 

 

 

and
that the acceptance, handling, storage, recycling, and disposal of the Eligible
Refrigerators and Freezers and the Hazardous Materials shall be in accordance
with (i) the requirements of this Agreement, and (ii) the applicable local,
state, and federal laws and regulations in effect at the time of the Work
performed.

 

18.             TITLE

 

18.1         Title
to the Hazardous Materials shall pass to Contractor when Contractor collects
Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers from customers.

 

18.2         Title
of collected Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers shall pass to Contractor.

 

19.           INSURANCE

 

19.1         Without
limiting Contractor’s liability to SCE, including the requirements of Section
20, Indemnity, Contractor shall maintain for the Work, and shall require that
each Subcontractor maintain, at all times during the Work and at its own
expense, valid and collectible insurance as described below.  This insurance shall not be terminated,
expire, or materially altered except on thirty (30) Calendar Days prior written
notice to SCE.  Contractor shall furnish
SCE with certificates of insurance and forms acceptable to SCE and shall
require each Subcontractor to furnish Contractor with certificates of
insurance, as evidence that policies do provide the required coverage and
limits of insurance listed below.  Such
certificates shall be furnished to SCE’s Program Manager by Contractor within 30 days of execution of this Agreement,
and by Subcontractor upon receipt of its subcontract, but in any event prior to
start of its portion of the Work.  Any
other insurance carried by SCE, its officers, agents, and employees, which may
be applicable, shall be deemed to be excess insurance, and Contractor’s
insurance shall be deemed primary for all purposes notwithstanding any
conflicting provision in Contractor’s policies to the contrary.

 

(i)            Workers’
Compensation Insurance with statutory limits, as required by the state in which
the Work is performed, and Employer’s Liability Insurance with limits of not
less than $5,000,000.  Carriers
furnishing such insurance shall be required to waive all rights of subrogation 

 

 

against
SCE, its officers, agents, employees, and other contractors and subcontractors.

 

(ii)           Comprehensive
Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance, including owners, and
contractors’ protective liability, product/completed operations liability,
contractual liability, and coverage for liability incurred as a result of
sudden and accidental discharge, dispersal, release or escape of polluting
materials, (excluding automobile) with a combined single limit of not less than
$3,000,000 for each occurrence.  Such
insurance shall: (a) acknowledge SCE and their officers, agents, and employees,
as additional insureds; (b) be primary for all purposes; and (c) contain
standard cross-liability provisions.

 

(iii)          Automobile
Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance with a combined single
limit of not less than $3,000,000 for each occurrence.  Such insurance shall cover liability arising
out of the use by Contractor and Subcontractors of owned, non owned and hired
automobiles in the performance of the Work. 
As used herein, the term “automobile” means vehicles licensed or
required to be licensed under the Vehicle Code of the state in which the Work
is performed.  Such insurance shall
acknowledge SCE as an additional insured and be primary for all purposes.

 

(iv)          Environmental
Impairment Expense Insurance with a combined single limit of not less than
$5,000,000 for each occurrence and overall limits of $10,000,000.  Such insurance shall provide coverage for
necessary costs or expense of removing, cleaning-up, transporting, nullifying,
and rendering ineffective, or any of them, any substance which has caused
environmental impairment and such insurance shall contain no exclusions for non-sudden
and/or non-accidental discharge, release or escape of polluting materials.  Such insurance shall acknowledge SCE as an
additional insured and be primary for all purposes.

 

Contractor
shall report immediately to SCE and confirm in writing any injury, loss, or
damage incurred by Contractor or Subcontractors in excess of $500.00, or its
receipt of notice of any claim by a third party in excess of 

 

 

$500.00,
or any occurrence that might give rise to such claim.

 

If
Contractor fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Section 19,
Contractor shall, at its own cost, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SCE and
their respective officers, agents, employees, assigns, and successors in
interest, from and against any and all liability, damages, losses, claims,
demands, actions, causes of action, costs, including attorney’s fees and
expenses, or any of them, resulting from the death or injury to any person or
damage to any property to the extent that SCE would have been protected had
Contractor complied with all of the provisions of this Section 19.

 

 

20.           INDEMNITY

 

20.1         Contractor
shall, at its own cost, indemnify, defend, reimburse, and hold harmless SCE and
its officers, directors, employees, agents, assigns, and successors in
interest, (1) from and against any and all liability, damages, losses, claims,
suits, demands, actions, causes of action, costs, expenses, including
attorney’s fees and expenses, or any of them resulting from the death or injury
to any person or damage to or destruction of any property caused by Contractor,
Subcontractors, and employees, officers and agents of either Contractor or
Subcontractors, or any of them, and arising out of or attributable to the
performance or nonperformance of Contractor’s obligations under this Agreement
and including, without limitation, failure to comply fully with every federal,
state, or local law, statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, or government
directive which directly or indirectly regulates or affects the handling,
storage, recycling, or disposal of the Hazardous Materials to be managed by
Contractor hereunder; and (2) for any breach of any representation or warranty
made by Contractor in this Agreement.

 

In
all cases of death or injury to employees, officers or agents of either
Contractor or Subcontractors, whether or not caused by Contractor, SCE shall be
indemnified by Contractor for any and all liability except to the extent such
death or injury results from the negligence of SCE.

 

20.2         Contractor
shall, at its own cost, indemnify, defend, reimburse, and hold harmless SCE,
their officers, directors, employees, and agents, assigns, and successors in
interest, from and against any and all liability imposed upon, or to be imposed
upon SCE as applicable, under any law imposing liability for the environmental
clean-up of the Hazardous Materials at any location (other than SCE’s property)
where the Hazardous Materials have been placed, stored or disposed of in the
performance or nonperformance of Contractor’s obligations under this Agreement,
or any other site to which the Hazardous Materials have migrated.

 

20.3         The
indemnities set forth in this Section 20 shall not be limited by the insurance
requirements set forth in Section 19.

 

 

21.           TERM AND
TERMINATION

 

21.1         This
Agreement shall commence on January 1, 2004 and continue in effect until one of
the following occurs: (a) December 31, 2005; (b) SCE determines that Contractor
has picked up all units called in prior to December 31, 2005; (c) SCE
determines that Contractor has exhausted all available funding; (d) SCE learns
that Contractor has filed a petition in bankruptcy or that an involuntary
petition has been filed against Contractor and said petition(s); or (e) the CPUC discontinues funding for
the 2004-05 Statewide Residential Appliance Recycling Program or this Agreement
(the “Term”).

 

21.2         Either
Party may terminate the Agreement for any reason by providing thirty (30)
Calendar Days advance written notice to the other Party.  The termination shall become effective on
the last day of said notice period (“Termination Date”).  Contractor shall be paid for all Work
performed prior to the Termination Date. 
In such event, SCE shall only be obligated to pay contractor for such
Eligible Refrigerators and Freezers actually collected by Contractor for
recycling as of the Termination Date, and shall not be obligated to pay
Contractor for units not collected.

 

21.3         In the
event of termination pursuant to this Section 21, Contractor and SCE shall work
cooperatively to facilitate the termination of the 2004-05 Statewide
Residential Appliance Recycling Program.

 

21.4         Each
Party shall immediately provide at no cost to the other any testimony, or any
communications with the CPUC, or any board, division, committee or member
thereof, which could reasonably be anticipated to affect the 2004-05 Statewide
Residential Appliance Recycling Program or which addresses it in any manner.

 

22.           STOP WORK

 

SCE
may suspend the Work for good cause, such as safety concerns, fraud, or
excessive customer complaints, by orally notifying Contractor to suspend the
Work. Contractor shall stop work immediately, and may resume the Work only upon
receiving written notice from SCE to resume the Work.

 

 

23.           WRITTEN NOTICES

 

23.1         Any
written notice, demand or request required or authorized in connection with
this Agreement, shall be deemed properly given if delivered in person or sent
by facsimile, nationally recognized overnight courier, or first class mail,
postage prepaid, to the address specified below, or to another address specified
in writing by SCE as follows:

 

SCE:

Southern
California Edison Company

Refrigerator /Freezer Recycling Program

Tom Schober

2244
Walnut Grove Avenue - Quad 2A

Rosemead, CA 91770

(626) 302-8626 telephone

(626) 302-1834 facsimile

tom.schober@sce.com

 

Contractor:

ARCA
CALIFORNIA Inc.

Jack Cameron, President

7400 Excelsior Boulevard

Minneapolis, MN 55426

(952) 930-1717 telephone

(612) 889-6600 cellular

(952) 930-1800 facsimile

jcameron@arcainc.com

 

23.2         Notices
shall be deemed received (a) if personally or hand-delivered, upon the date of
delivery to the address of the person to receive such notice if delivered
before 5:00 p.m., or otherwise on the Business Day following personal delivery;
(b) if mailed, three (3) Business Days after the date the notice is postmarked;
(c) if by facsimile, upon electronic confirmation of transmission, followed by
telephone notification of transmission by the noticing Party; or (d) if by
overnight courier: on the Business Day following delivery to the overnight
courier within the time limits set by that courier for next-day delivery.

 

 

24.           SUBCONTRACTS

 

24.1         Contractor
represents and warrants that Contractor shall contractually require each
Subcontractor to be bound by general terms and conditions protecting each
participating Utility which are equivalent to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.

 

24.2         Contractor
shall, at all times, be responsible for the Work, and acts and omissions, of
Subcontractors and persons directly or indirectly employed by them for services
in connection with the Work.  This
Agreement shall not constitute a contractual relationship between any
Subcontractor and SCE nor any obligation for payment by SCE to any
Subcontractor.

 

25.           INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

 

The
Contractor, and its employees, Subcontractors, and agents of Contractor in the
performance of this Agreement, shall act in an independent capacity and not as
officers or employees or agents of SCE.

 

26.           NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

 

Contractor
and its Subcontractors shall not unlawfully discriminate, harass, or allow
harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of sex,
race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, physical disability
(including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer), age
(over 40), marital status, and denial of family care leave.  Contractor and Subcontractors shall insure
that the evaluation and treatment of their employees and applicants for
employment are free from such discrimination and harassment.  Contractor and its Subcontractors shall
comply with the provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Government
Code Section 12990 (a-f) et seq.) and the applicable regulations promulgated
thereunder (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 7285 et seq.). The
applicable regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission
implementing Government Code Section 12990 (a-f), set forth in Chapter 5 of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations, are incorporated
into this Agreement by reference and made a part hereof as if set forth in
full.  Contractor and its Subcontractors
shall give written notice of their 

 

 

obligations
under this clause to labor organizations with which they have a collective
bargaining or other Agreement.

 

Contractor
shall include the nondiscrimination and compliance provisions of this clause in
all subcontracts for the Work.

 

27.           CPUC AUTHORITY TO MODIFY

 

This
Agreement shall at all times be subject to review and change or modification by
the CPUC in the exercise of its jurisdiction.

 

28.           NON-WAIVER

 

None
of the provisions of this Agreement shall be considered waived by either Party
unless such waiver is specifically stated in writing.

 

29.           ASSIGNMENT

 

In
the event SCE is required to assign its rights, duties and obligations under
this Agreement to the CPUC and/or its designee, Contractor agrees to consent to
such an assignment.  Other than the
aforementioned assignment, neither Party shall delegate or assign this
Agreement or any part or interest thereof, without the prior written consent of
the other Party, and any assignment without such consent shall be void and of
no effect.

 

30.           FORCE MAJEURE

 

Failure
of Contractor to perform any of the provisions of this Agreement by reason of
any of the following shall not constitute an event of default or breach of this
Agreement: strikes, picket lines, boycott efforts, earthquakes, fires, floods,
war (whether or not declared), revolution, riots, insurrections, acts of God,
acts of government (including, without limitation, any agency or department of
the United States of America), acts of the public enemy, scarcity or rationing
of gasoline or other fuel or vital products, inability to obtain materials or
labor, or other causes which are reasonably beyond the control of the
Contractor.

 

 

31.           DISPUTE RESOLUTION

 

31.1         Should
any dispute arise between the Parties regarding this Agreement, the Parties
agree to enter into good faith negotiations as soon as practicable to resolve
such disputes within five (5) Business Days of receipt of a written notice
describing the dispute.  If the Parties
are unable to resolve the dispute, the Parties agree to refer the matter to the
Energy Division for resolution by the CPUC.

 

 

31.2         All
negotiations, mediation and/or arbitration conducted pursuant to this clause
are confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement
negotiations, to which Section 1119 of the California Evidence Code shall
apply, and Section 1119 is incorporated herein by reference.

 

31.3         Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions, a Party may seek a preliminary injunction or other
provisional judicial remedy if in its judgment such action is necessary to
avoid irreparable damage or to preserve the status quo.

 

31.4         Each
Party is required to continue to perform their obligations under this Agreement
that are not related to the dispute, pending final resolution of a dispute
arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

32.           SEVERABILITY

 

In
the event that any of the terms, covenants or conditions of this Agreement, or
the application of any such term, covenant or condition, shall be held invalid
as to any person or circumstance by any court, regulatory agency, or other
regulatory body having jurisdiction, all other terms, covenants, or conditions
of this Agreement and their application shall not be affected thereby, but
shall remain in full force and effect, unless a court, regulatory agency, or
other regulatory body holds that the provisions are not separable from all
other provisions of this Agreement.

 

33.           GOVERNING LAW

 

This
Agreement shall be interpreted, governed, and construed under the laws of the
State of California as if executed and to be performed wholly within the State
of California.  Any action brought to
enforce or interpret this Agreement shall be filed in Los Angeles County,
California.

 

34.           SECTION
HEADINGS

 

Section
headings appearing in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not be
construed as interpretations of text.

 

 

35.           SURVIVAL

 

Notwithstanding
completion or of this Agreement, the Parties shall continue to be bound by the
provisions of this Agreement which by their nature survive such completion or
termination.  Such provisions shall
include, but not be limited to, Sections 12, 14, and 20 of this Agreement.

 

36.           NONRELIANCE

 

Neither
Party has relied upon any representation, warranty, projection, estimate or
other communication from the other not specifically so identified in this
Agreement.

 

37.           ATTORNEYS’ FEES

 

In
the event of any legal action or other proceeding between the Parties arising
out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, the prevailing
Party in such legal action or proceeding shall be entitled to have and recover
from the other Party all costs and expenses incurred therein, including
reasonable attorneys’ fees.

 

38.           COOPERATION

 

Each
Party agrees to cooperate with the other Party in whatever manner reasonably
required to facilitate the successful completion of this Agreement.

 

39.           ENTIRE
AGREEMENT

 

This
Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties
and merges and supersedes all prior agreements, representations and discussions
pertaining to the subject matter of this Agreement, including Contractor’s
proposals.  Any changes, exceptions, or
different terms and conditions proposed by Contractor are hereby rejected
unless expressly stated in this Agreement.

 

 

40.           COUNTERPARTS.

 

This
Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall be deemed to be one
and the same instrument.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their
duly authorized representatives.

 

	
  CONTRACTOR:

  	
  SCE:

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  ARCA
  CALIFORNIA, INC.

  	
  SOUTHERN
  CALIFORIA EDISON COMPANY

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
  By:

  	
  /s/Jack Cameron

  	
   

  	
  By:

  	
  /s/Pamela A. Bass

  	
   

  
	
  Its:

  	
  President

  	
   

  	
   

  	
  Its:

  	
  Sr. Vice President

  	
   

  
	
  CSBU

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  Name Printed:

  	
  Jack Cameron

  	
   

  	
   

  	
  Name Printed:

  	
  Pamela A. Bass

  	
   

  
	
  Date:

  	
  January 17, 2004

  	
   

  	
  Date:

  	
  January 22, 2004

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00063-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00063-of-00352.parquet"}]]