(a) Any party may serve upon any other party written interrogatories
to be answered in writing by the party served, or if the party served is
a public or private corporation or a partnership or association or
governmental agency, by any authorized officer or agent, who shall
furnish such information as is available to the party. A copy of the
interrogatories, answers, and all related pleadings shall be served on
all parties to the proceeding. Copies of interrogatories and responses
thereto shall not be filed with the Office of Administrative Law Judges
unless the presiding judge so orders, the document is
being offered into evidence, the document is submitted in support of a
motion or a response to a motion, filing is required by a specialized
rule, or there is some other compelling reason for its submission.
(b) Each interrogatory shall be answered separately and fully in
writing under oath or affirmation, unless it is objected to, in which
event the reasons for objection shall be stated in lieu of an answer.
The answers and objections shall be signed by the person making them.
The party upon whom the interrogatories were served shall serve a copy
of the answer and objections upon all parties to the proceeding within
thirty (30) days after service of the interrogatories, or within such
shorter or longer period as the administrative law judge may allow.
(c) An interrogatory otherwise proper is not necessarily
objectionable merely because an answer to the interrogatory involves an
opinion or contention that relates to fact or the application of law to
fact, but the administrative law judge may order that such an
interrogatory need not be answered until after designated discovery has
been completed or until a prehearing conference or other later time.
[48 FR 32538, July 15, 1983, as amended at 59 FR 41877, Aug. 15, 1994]
