[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27586-27587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13177]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as 
Amended

    Notice is hereby given that a proposed consent decree in United 
States v. W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn., Civil Action No. 98-2045 (AMW) was 
lodged on April 30, 1998, in the United States District Court for the 
District of New Jersey. The proposed Consent Decree will resolve the 
United States' claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et 
seq., on behalf of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (``ACOE''), U.S. 
Department of Energy (``DOE''), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(``EPA'') and U.S. Department of the Interior against W.R. Grace & Co.-
Conn. (``W.R. Grace''). The Complaint alleges that W.R. Grace is liable 
under Section 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607.
    Pursuant to the Consent Decree, W.R. Grace will pay to the United 
States $30 million in settlement of both DOE's and ACOE's cleanup 
costs, $1.5 million in settlement of EPA's costs, and $270,000 to DOE 
to settle natural resource damage claims. In addition, if the Consent 
Decree is entered, the United States will also be paid interest that 
has been accruing on monies that W.R. Grace has maintained in an escrow 
account since August 1997. That interest is currently approximately 
$400,000.
    The Department of Justice will receive, for a period of thirty (30) 
days from the date of this publication, comments relating to the 
proposed consent decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant 
Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and should refer to 
United States v. W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn., DOJ Ref. #90-11-2-1200.
    The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Office of the 
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Federal 
Building, 7th Floor, 970 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102; and at 
the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, 
D.C. 20005, (202) 624-0892. A copy of the proposed consent decree may 
be obtained in person or by mail from the Consent Decree Library, 1120 
G Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. In requesting a copy 
please refer to the referenced case and enclose a check made payable to 
the Consent Decree Library in the amount of

[[Page 27587]]

$33.75 (25 cents per page reproduction costs). If a copy of the Consent 
Decree without the attachments is sufficient, please specify that fact 
and enclose a check in the amount of $8.50.
Joel M. Gross,
Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 98-13177 Filed 5-18-98; 8:45 am]
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