Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.law,americast.usa-today.law From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: law Wed, Oct 28 1992 Date: Wed, 28 Oct 92 04:40:26 EST Message-ID: 10-28 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update Oct. 28, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MCCAW CHALLENGES REGULATION: McCaw Cellular Communications Inc. has announced that its system in Sacramento, Calif., has petitioned the state Public Utilities Commission to reconsider its decision on regulation of the cellular industry. McCaw's filing automatically stays the effective date of the ruling until late December. That move makes it unlikely that any action could be implemented before the middle of next year. DECISION `PROTECTS PROFITS': McCaw Cellular Communications Inc. has petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission over a regulation ruling because the decision "protects the profits of resellers at the expense of consumers," according to McCaw's Mark Hamilton. Hamilton says the regulation will stymie the introduction of new technology, making California fall behind other states. SHELL SUED FOR DUMPING: The National Environmental Law Center is suing Shell Oil Co. for polluting San Francisco Bay, court officials said Tuesday. The suit claims that Shell's 140,000 barrel-per-day Martinez refinery is dumping selenium and cyanide into the bay at illegal limits. High levels of selenium can cause birth defects in humans and kill sea life, the group said. ORYX SAYS SUN CHEATED: Oryx Energy Co. has accused former parent company Sun Co. Inc. of cheating the Dallas energy company out of $21.5 million of tax reserves. Oryx claims it paid Sun the money before the two companies split in 1988. The suit is the latest in a yearlong fight between the two that stems from an Internal Revenue Service audit of Sun's taxes for 1979 to 1981. EPA ISSUES COMPLAINT: The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday said it has issued a complaint against a New York company, Adhesive Products Corp. The complaint was because the company failed to notify the agency of hazardous waste activity. The complaint also said the company did not have an emergency response plan and stored hazardous waste without proper labeling and marking. Sought: $74,850 in fines. PHONE COMPANIES SLAM CONSUMERS: Telephone customers in Florida still have their long-distance service switched without authorization, especially in the central part of the state, according to the state Public Service Commission. The panel has received more than 450 complaints of the so-called slamming and found 348 cases of unauthorized switching. The area's population growth makes for heavy competition. ARNOTTS SAYS CAMPBELL MISLEADS: Australian cracker maker Arnotts Ltd. Tuesday claimed Campbell Soup Co. has made misleading statements about its intentions. Arnotts says Campbell has launched an unsolicited takeover bid and rejected claims that Campbell has supplied Arnotts with new technology and other material assistance. Campbell's became a major shareholder in Arnotts in 1985. MICROLOG GETS SWITCH PATENT: Microlog Corp. Tuesday announced it has received a patent for its software switch for digitized audio signals. The switch allows for conferencing between the company's automated telephone information system, an operator and the caller. The software allows for conferencing without any additional hardware beyond that included in the Microlog VCS 3500 system. GROCERY AGREEMENT REACHED: United Food & Commercial Workers and supermarket chains in the New York:Long Island area came to tentative agreement on a new three-year contract at 2:00 a.m. Tuesday. That's two hours past the deadline imposed by the union one week ago. Major issues include payments to employees' health insurance funds and more pension benefits. BANK ACQUISITION IS SIGNED: Washington Mutual Savings Bank Tuesday signed a definitive agreement to acquire Pacific First Bank for $663 million cash. Washington Mutual will buy all outstanding stock of Pacific's parent from RT Holdings Inc. Washington Mutual said the acquisition is part of the bank's plan to become a national consumer bank. The $663 million is 95.4% of Pacific's book value. FIRM GETS RESTRAINING ORDER: RehabCare Corp. Tuesday announced it has been granted a temporary restraining order that prevents Comprehensive Care Corp. from selling its 425,000 shares of RehabCare common stock to anyone but RehabCare. RehabCare had asserted its prior right to purchase the shares after being notified that Continental Medical Systems, Inc. had exercised an option. USA AGREES TO MORE TALKS: The European Community and the United States agreed Tuesday to another round of talks in their farm trade dispute, raising hopes of a breakthrough before the U.S. presidential elections. "We are continuing negotiations to try and find a solution that is acceptable to both of us," Ray MacSharry, the community's trade negotiator, said in Luxembourg. STERN CAN PROCESS TRADES: The Chicago Board of Trade says Lee B. Stern & Co. has voluntarily withdrawn as a clearing member of the exchange but remains a member. A clearing firm processes customer trades. Other member firms must channel business through clearing members. The board says it has removed the suspensions of the three major owners of Stern, but the firm is banned from handling customer accounts. Business Law Editor: Beth Mann. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM