[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3248-3249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1271]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Water 
Act

    In accordance with Department of Justice policy, 28 CFR 50.7, 
notice is hereby given that a proposed consent decree in the action 
entitled United State of America v. Sapo Corporation, et. al., Civil 
Action No. 99-2366 (D.P.R.), was lodged on December 15, 1999 with the 
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The 
proposed consent decree resolves claims of the United States, on behalf 
of the Secretary of the Army, under the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act, as amended (``Clean Water Act''), 33 U.S.C. 1251-1387, against 
defendants Sapo Corporation, Concho Corporation, and Arnold Benus. 
These claims are for injunctive relief and civil penalties arising from 
defendants' alleged discharge of fill material into wetlands at the 
Copamarina Beach Resort in Cana Gorda Ward, Guanica, Puerto Rico, 
without a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in violation of 
Section 301(a) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1311(a).
    Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, the defendants will 
(1) Pay a civil penalty of $15,000 to the United States, (2) complete a 
mitigation project to enhance protection of existing wetlands on their 
property by constructing barriers to intrusion by motor vehicles, and 
(3) complete a preservation project by transferring title to 30.59 
acres of wetlands valued at $98,126, including the protective barriers, 
under a perpetual conservation easement, to the Puerto Rico Department 
of Natural and Environmental Resources.
    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, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. 
Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and should refer to United 
States v. Sapo Corporation, et al., Civil Action No. 99-2366 (D.P.R.), 
DOJ Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-4471/1.
    The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Office of the 
United States Attorney, Federal Building, Chardon Avenue, Hato Rey, 
Puerto Rico 00918. A copy may be obtained by mail from the Consent 
Decree Library, U.S. Department of Justice, P.O. Box 7611, Ben Franklin 
Station, Washington, DC 20044-7611. In requesting a copy by mail, 
please refer to the referenced case

[[Page 3249]]

and enclose a check in the amount of $5.75 (25 cents per page 
reproduction costs for the Decree and appendix) made payable to Consent 
Decree Library.

Bruce Gelber,
Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division, Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 00-1271 Filed 1-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M