[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 54 (Monday, March 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 15013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6747]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Air Act

    Under the policy set out at 28 CFR 50.7, notice is hereby given 
that on February 29, 2000, a proposed Consent Decree (Decree) in United 
States of America v. Tampa Electric Company, Civil Action No. 99-2524 
CIV-T-23F, was lodged with the United States District Court for the 
Middle District of Florida.
    In this enforcement action under the Clean Air Act involving 
alleged violations of requirements intended to prevent the 
deterioration of air quality, the United States sought injunctive 
relief and civil penalties from Tampa Electric Company, the owner and 
operator of the coal-fired electric generating stations known as Gannon 
and Big Bend. Those stations are located in Hillsborough County, 
Florida, near the City of Tampa. The United States alleged that Tampa 
Electric failed to comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act at 
Big Bend and Gannon by failing to seek permits prior to making major 
modifications to parts of these facilities and by failing to install 
appropriate pollution control devices to control emissions of air 
pollutants from those facilities.
    The Decree requires Tampa Electric to undertake various steps at 
Big Bend and Gannon in order to reduce the emission of various air 
pollutants, including the following measures: optimize operation and 
use of existing pollution control equipment; observe limits on use of 
fuels in generating electricity; install new pollution control 
equipment; and meet various emission limits for certain air pollutants, 
namely: oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter. 
Also under the Decree, Tampa Electric must undertake a series of 
additional pollution control or mitigation projects (at a cost of at 
least $10 million) that are related to the emission of oxides of 
nitrogen at Tampa Electric's generating stations and to the examination 
of air quality in the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Electric is also required 
to pay a civil penalty of $3.5 million.
    The Department of Justice will receive for a period of thirty (30) 
days from the date of this publication comments relating to the Decree. 
Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, 
Environment and Natural Resources Division, P.O. Box 7611, U.S. 
Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611, and should refer to 
United States of America v. Tampa Electric Power Company, D.J. Ref. 90-
5-2-1-06932.
    The Decree may be examined at the Office of the United States 
Attorney, 400 N. Tampa Street, Suite 3200, Tampa, Florida 33602, and at 
U.S. EPA Region 4, Office of Regional Counsel, 61 Forsyth Street, S.W., 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303. A copy of the Decree may also be obtained by 
mail from the Consent Decree Library, P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of 
Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611. In requesting a copy, please 
enclose a check in the amount of $15.25 (25 cents per page reproduction 
cost), payable to the Consent Decree Library.

Bruce S. Gelber,
Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 00-6747 Filed 3-17-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15--M