People of the State of Calif. v. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiffs the City of San Diego and the State of California (collectively, the “City”) appeal the district court’s orders relating to discovery and its grant of summary judgment in favor of Defendants Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P:, Kinder Morgan Management, LLC, SFPP, L.P., Kinder Morgan Operating, L.P. “D”, Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc., and Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines, Inc. (collectively, “Kinder Morgan”). We affirm in part, reverse and remand in part.

1. Discovery Rulings and Imposition ■ of Sanctions

We review the district court’s discovery rulings for abuse of discretion, Goodman v. Staples the Office Superstore, LLC, 644 F.3d 817, 822 (9th Cir.2011), and affirm. First, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the City’s request for discovery into profits at the Mission Valley Terminal on the ground that the discovery sought is irrelevant under California law. See Watson Land Co. v. Shell Oil Co., 130 Cal.App.4th 69 , 29 Cal.Rptr.3d 343, 349-50 (Ct.App.2005). Similarly, the district court did not err in denying the City’s request for an order compelling Kinder Morgan to produce non-redacted versions of documents. The City cites no binding…