Northrop Grumman Sys. Corp. v. Nat'l Aeronautics & Space Admin.

346 F. Supp. 3d 109
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedSeptember 28, 2018
DocketCivil Action No. 17-1902 (RDM)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 346 F. Supp. 3d 109 (Northrop Grumman Sys. Corp. v. Nat'l Aeronautics & Space Admin.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Northrop Grumman Sys. Corp. v. Nat'l Aeronautics & Space Admin., 346 F. Supp. 3d 109 (D.C. Cir. 2018).

Opinion

RANDOLPH D. MOSS, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation ("Northrop Grumman") brings this reverse-Freedom of Information Act suit against Defendant National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA"). Northrop Grumman challenges as arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law, see 5 U.S.C. § 702, NASA's decision to release, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA"), 5 U.S.C. § 552, two tables included in Northrop Grumman's contract with NASA for the design and manufacture of the James Webb Space Telescope. The case is presently before the Court on NASA's motion for summary judgment, Dkt. 27, and Northrop Grumman's cross-motion for summary judgment, Dkt. 28. For the reasons explained below, the Court will deny NASA's motion for summary judgment and will grant Northrop Grumman's cross-motion.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Contract NAS5-02200 & Clause B.7

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems ("NGAS"), the largest of Northrop Grumman's business sectors, "designs and manufactures a ... range of military aircraft, autonomous systems, and space technologies." Dkt. 28-1 at 9-10 n.1. In October of 2002, NGAS was awarded NASA Contract NAS5-02200, see Dkt. 18-1 at 4, to design and manufacture the James Webb Space Telescope ("JWST"), a "$9[ ] [billion] Program of international significance," Dkt. 18-7 at 97 n.6.1 The JWST contract was structured as a "cost reimbursement contract" under which NASA agreed to pay Northrop Grumman's costs of performance plus a fee. Dkt. 28-1 at 11-12 (citing 48 C.F.R. §§ 16.301-1, 16.304 - 16.307 ). Under such a cost-plus contract, the government agrees to reimburse the contractor for its "direct costs," such as materials for construction and employee wages, and its "indirect costs," including a portion of overhead costs applicable to multiple contracts or to the company as a whole. Id. at 12. To allocate indirect costs, the JWST proposal and contract used a proposed "wrap rate" comprised of "three indirect cost components," id. : "related payroll expense," "overhead," and "general & administrative expense," which were projected for each year of the contract, Dkt. 18-1 at 17. Northrop Grumman was then required to "apply [the] proposed yearly Wrap Rates to [its] actual yearly" labor costs "to determine yearly costs based on the proposed Wrap Rates." Id. "Upon the completion of each calendar year," Northrop Grumman was further required to determine it "actual yearly Wrap Rates." Id. Because the actual rates are audited by the Defense Contract Audit Agency or another government auditor, the actual rate calculation can lag years behind the relevant contract year. See Oral Arg. Tr. at 18 (Rough). As a result, the company bills NASA using the *114proposed wrap rates until the actual rates are calculated. Id. If the actual rate ultimately deviated from the proposed rate by an agreed upon amount, however, Northrop Grumman could have been required to reimburse NASA for the difference over the allowable amount and, under some circumstances, to pay an additional penalty. See id. at 18-20, 50 (reflecting the parties' agreement regarding reimbursement and penalties).

Northrop Grumman's proposed wrap rates are identified in Table 1 to Clause B.7 of the JWST contract, and Table 2 to Clause B.7 provides examples of how the "negative fee incentive" would be calculated if Northrop Grumman's actual wrap rate deviated by the agreed-upon amount from its proposed wrap rate. See Dkt. 18-1 at 17-18. As NASA explained in its Final Decision, Clause B.7 was included "to reduce potential indirect rate creep" over the course of a long-term contract. Dkt. 18-7 at 97.

B. Administrative Action

On February 10, 2017, NASA received a FOIA request from FOIA Group, Inc., a commercial service that submits FOIA requests on behalf of third parties. See Dkt. 18-1 at 2. The request sought a copy of the JWST contract with attachments, any modifications from 2004 to 2009, the "source selection statement," and the "[c]omplete[d]" Request for Proposals. Id. ; Dkt. 18-7 at 94. The requestor later modified its request to exclude the Request for Proposals. Id. at 87, 89.

By letter dated March 24, 2017, NASA notified Northrop Grumman that it had received the FOIA request and requested that Northrop Grumman "provide [NASA] with a written response stating any objections Northrop Grumman ... may have to the release of the requested documents." Dkt. 18-3 at 352. The letter further requested that Northrop Grumman "highlight" its objections on copies of the requested documents, which NASA provided along with its letter, and that it "provide the legal basis for those objections." Id. To the extent Northrop Grumman's objections were based on confidentiality, NASA asked that the company "give a detailed explanation as to how the release of the requested information would cause substantial harm to [the] company." Id. Due to its statutorily-imposed deadline for responding to the FOIA request, NASA urged Northrop Grumman to respond by April 4, 2017.

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Bluebook (online)
346 F. Supp. 3d 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/northrop-grumman-sys-corp-v-natl-aeronautics-space-admin-cadc-2018.