| OCR Text |
Show CASE NO. 83-059-03 NOTICE OF FILING AND NOTICE OF PREHEARING CONFERENCE BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF UTAH In the matter of the Complaint of UTAH GAS SERVICE COMPANY, a corporation. By the Commission: On May 27, 1983 Utah Gas Service Company filed its "Complaint for Interpleader and Tender of Funds" with the Commission. Com-mission. The Complaint alleges that Utah Gas Service Company has been holding certain monies in impound pursuant pur-suant to prior orders of this Comission in col-solidated col-solidated Cases Nos. 78-059-0778-059-08 and Case No. 81-059-03 pertaining per-taining to gas purchased by said utility from the Altonah and Bluebell Gasoline Plants located in Utah. The monies held in impound have accumulated ac-cumulated since July 1, 1981 and relate to portions por-tions of the price paid for said gas and related production pro-duction taxes. The contracts con-tracts relating to the purchase pur-chase of gas from said gas plants have previously been reviewed review-ed by and approved by this Commission at earlier times. Utah Gas Service Company alleges that it has received conflicting claims to said impound monies from various gas producers, on the one hand, and from certain customers of said utility, on the other hand. The demands made by the producers also seek clarification of the gas purchase contracts relating to said gas plants, so that future purchases pur-chases of the gas will be priced in accordance with the provision of Section Sec-tion 102 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, together with other adjustments ad-justments promulgated under that Act, including production tax reimbursements reim-bursements and so-called so-called Section 110 adjustments. The total amount held in impound by Utah Gas Service Company for the period July, 1981 through March, 1983, including accumulated interest, is $981,309.95. The claims made by the operator of the two plants on behalf of the producer interests would apportion this sum in the amounts of $760,227.07 to the gas plants and producers and $221,082.88 to the utility customers collectively, in order to parallel a settlement set-tlement approved by this Commission in another matter and concerning another gas utility. Details concerning these allocations are set out in the Complaint. Recognizing that there may be conflicting claims to said monies held in impound and recognizing that interested in-terested parties may not yet have had an opportunity oppor-tunity to avail themselves of the studies submitted by Complainant Complai-nant and of the claims being made upon Complainant Com-plainant for clarification of contract pricing terms in the future, the Commission Com-mission finds it necessary and appropriate ap-propriate to set this matter mat-ter for prehearing conference con-ference in order to determine deter-mine the parties interested, in-terested, the issues and to set future times for hearing. On the basis of the foregoing, the Commission Commis-sion concludes that there is sufficient cause to consider con-sider these matters further fur-ther and therefore makes the following ORDER NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, That: 1. A prehearing conference con-ference will be held before the Commission on Wednesday, the 17th day of August, 1983, at 9.00 a.m., at the Commission's Com-mission's hearing room, fourth floor, Heber M. Wells State Office Building, 160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, in order to determine deter-mine interested parties, to delineate the issues, and to set a schedule for further hearings in this matter. 2. Interested parties are cautioned and put on notice that they should appear at the prehearing conference in order to make their positions known, as there may not be further public notice in this matter. Interested parties are also requested re-quested to file brief notices of appearance containing a short synopsis synop-sis of the nature of their respective claims by August 10, 1983. 3. Copies of the Complaint Com-plaint in this matter may be inspected at the Commission's Com-mission's offices or be contacting Complainant's Complai-nant's attorney, Thomas M. Zarr, Suite 300, 455 South Third East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111. 4. Utah Gas Service Company is directed to publish this Notice in a newspaper of General circulation for at least two issues, with proof of such publication to be filed fil-ed with this commission on or before August 1, 1983. The Utah Gas Service Ser-vice Company is also directed to circulate a billing stuffer to its customers containing the sum and substance of this Notice and to complete com-plete such circulation on or before August 1, 1983. DATED at Salt Lake City, Utah, this 30th day of June, 1983. BRENT H. CAMERON, Chairman JAMES M. BYRNE, Commissioner Attest: Jean Mowrey, Secretary Published in the Vernal Express July 15 and 22, 1983. |
