[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 104 (Monday, June 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29751-29752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14333]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


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

    Notice is hereby given that a proposed consent decree embodying a 
settlement in United States v. Chevron USA, Inc., et al., Civil Action 
No. F-98-5412 REC DLB, was lodged on April 21, 1998, with the United 
States District Court for the Eastern District of California.
    In the complaint filed concurrently with the lodging of the consent 
decree, the United States sought injunctive relief for performance of 
response actions, and reimbursement for response costs incurred by the 
United States Environmental Protection Agency, in response to releases 
of hazardous substances at the Purity Oil Sales Superfund Site, located 
near Fresno, California pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C. 9601 
et seq. The settling defendants have agreed to contribute towards 
performance of future response actions at the Purity Site; defendant 
Chevron USA Inc. has agreed to perform that work. Future work includes 
operation and maintenance of the groundwater extraction and treatment 
system for the groundwater operable unit (estimated to cost $10 
million) and construction, operation, and maintenance of the components 
of the soils operable unit (estimated to cost between $10 and 12 
million). The soils operable unit includes treatment of soils at a 
depth of 14 to 40 feet with a soil vapor extraction system, 
construction of a cap and retaining wall at the site, emplacement of a 
25-foot deep soil/bentonite slurry wall around the site, and enclosure 
of an on-site canal in a reinforced concrete pipe.
    The consent decree includes a covenant not to sue under Sections 
106 and 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606, 9607, and under Section 7003 of 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (``RCRA''), 42 U.S.C. 6973.
    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, 
U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and should refer to 
United States v. Chevron USA, Inc., et al., DOJ Ref. #90-11-2-355. 
Commenters may request a public hearing in the affected area, pursuant 
to Section 7003(d) of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6973(d).
    The proposed consent decree may be examined at the office of the 
United States Attorney, Eastern District of California, Room 3654 
Federal Building, 1130 ``O'' Street, Fresno, California 93721; the 
Region IX Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne 
Street, San Francisco, California 94105; and at the Consent Decree 
Library, 1120 ``G'' Street, NW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 
624-0892. A copy of the proposed consent decree may be obtained in 
person or by mail from the Consent

[[Page 29752]]

Decree Library, 1120 ``G'' Street, NW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 
20005. In requesting a copy, please refer to the referenced case and 
enclose a check in the amount of $116.50 (25 cents per page 
reproduction costs), payable to the Consent Decree Library. A copy of 
the decree, exclusive of signature pages and attachments, may be 
obtained for $21.50.
Joel Gross,
Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural 
Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 98-14333 Filed 5-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M