[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 3235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1590]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Republication of Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the 
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Act

    Notice is hereby given that on October 4, 2001, a proposed consent 
decree in United States, et al., v. Oak Park Real Estate, Inc., et al., 
Civil Action No. 01 C 7582, was lodged with the United States District 
Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Notice of the lodging of 
this consent decree was first published by the Department of Justice in 
the Federal Register on November 15, 2001 (66 FR 57,485). The 
Department of Justice is republishing the notice of lodging because 
mail delivery problems associated with anthrax mailings to government 
offices have precluded the Department of Justice's receipt of public 
comments. To avoid additional delays related to such problems, the 
Department of Justice is requesting that any comments that were 
submitted under the original notice of lodging be resubmitted to the 
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, as set 
forth below.
    The consent decree settles claims against management agents and 
owners of several residential apartment buildings in Chicago, Illinois, 
which were brought on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development and the Environmental Protection Agency under the 
Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act 42 U.S.C. 4851 et 
seq. (``Lead Hazard Reduction Act''). The United States alleged in its 
complaint that each defendant failed to provide information to tenants 
concerning lead-based paint hazards, and failed to disclose to tenants 
the presence of any known lead-based paint or any known lead-based 
paint hazards.
    Under the consent decree, defendants have agreed to provide the 
required notice and disclosures, to perform inspections at the 
buildings for the presence of lead-based paint, to perform lead-based 
paint abatement, and to pay the United States and the State of Illinois 
administrative penalties in the amount of $40,000. The defendants 
manage and/or own 25 buildings with over 650 residential units.
     The Department of Justice will receive comments relating to the 
proposed consent decree for a period of thirty (30) days from the date 
of this publication. As noted above, as a result of the discovery of 
anthrax contamination at the District of Columbia mail processing 
center in mid-October, 2001, the delivery of regular first-class mail 
sent through the U.S. Postal Service has been disrupted. Consequently, 
public comments which are addressed to the Department of Justice in 
Washington, DC, and sent by regular, first-class mail through the U.S. 
Postal Service are not expected to be received in timely manner. 
Therefore, comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney 
General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of 
Justice, and sent: (1) c/o Jonathan C. Haile, Assistant United States 
Attorney, 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604; and/or (2) 
by facsimile to (202) 353-0296; and/or (3) by overnight delivery, other 
than through the U.S. Postal Service, to Chief, Environmental 
Enforcement Section, 1425 New York Avenue, NW., 13th Floor, Washington, 
DC 20005. Each communication should refer on its face to United States, 
et al., v. Oak Park Real Estate, Inc., et al., D.J. #90-5-1-1-07056.
    The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, Office of Lead Hazard Control, 
attention: Matthew E. Ammon, 490 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3206, 
Washington, DC 20410, (202) 755-1785; at the office of the United 
States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, 219 S. Dearborn 
Street, 5th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60604, and at U.S. EPA Region 5, 
77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604. A copy of the proposed 
Consent Decree may also be obtained by faxing a request to Tonia 
Fleetwood, Department of Justice Consent Decree Library, fax no. (202) 
616-6584; phone confirmation no. (202) 514-1547. There is a charge for 
the copy (25 cent per page reproduction cost). Upon requesting a copy, 
please mail a check payable to the ``U.S. Treasury'', in the amount of 
$12.50, to: Consent Decree Library, U.S. Department of Justice, P.O. 
Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. The check should refer to United 
States, et al., v. Oak Park Real Estate, Inc., et al., D.J. #90-5-1-1-
07056.

William D. Brighton,
Assistant Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 02-1590 Filed 1-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M