El Paso-Coastal Merger

Mike Moran has informed me that the FTC and U.S. DOJ, as part of their review
of the El Paso-Coastal merger, have decided to take a close look at the
merger's possible impact on competition in the Chicago-Wisconsin market. In
this regard, those agencies need to set up a conference call in the next two
weeks to discuss that issue with experts on that market from Border and
Northern. This will not be an on-the-record deposition. It will be a conf.
call and what I expect to be an informal question and answer session on what
we know. Representatives of the Wisconsin and Illinois Attorney General's
office (or whatever agency it is in those states that deals with antitrust
issues) will be on the phone as they are working with the Feds on the
merger. I think either one of you guys, with appropriate supervision, would
do a fine job. Please let me and Mike know who gets the black bean and what
your general availability is and we'll get it set up. Thanks. DF