[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 43025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20641]


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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 was lodged on 
July 27, 2001 with the United States District Court for the Eastern 
District of California. The Consent Decree embodies a second settlement 
in United States v. Chevron USA Inc., et al., Civil Action No. F-98-
5412 REC DLB. A prior consent decree was entered by the Court on 
December 21, 1998.
    In the complaint filed concurrently with the lodging of the first 
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 (``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 agreed 
to contribute towards performance of future response actions at the 
Purity Site; defendant Chevron USA Inc. (``Chevron'') agreed to perform 
that work. Future work under the first consent decree includes 
operation and maintenance of the groundwater extraction and treatment 
system for the groundwater operable unit and construction, operation, 
and maintenance of the components of the soils operable unit.
    The proposed consent decree provides for performance by Chevron of 
activities in connection with the temporary and permanent relocation of 
residents of the Tall Trees Trailer Park, located next to the Site. In 
addition, the proposed decree provides that EPA will reimburse Chevron 
for up to $1.5 million in costs incurred for performance of such 
activities.
    The proposed 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 Region IX Office 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, California 94105. A copy of the proposed consent decree may 
also be obtained by mail from the Department of Justice Consent Decree 
Library, Box 7611, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044-7611. In 
requesting a copy, please refer to the referenced case and enclose a 
check in the amount of $14.50 (25 cents per page reproduction costs), 
payable to the Consent Decree Library. A copy of the decree, exclusive 
of attachments, may be obtained for $20.50.

Ellen M. Mahan,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 01-20641 Filed 8-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M