[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43453-43454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14891]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act

    Under 28 CFR 50.7, notice is hereby given that on July 12, 2005, a 
proposed Consent Decree in United States and State of Louisiana v. City 
of New Iberia, Civil Action No. 04-1351 was lodged with the United 
States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
    In this action the United States, and its co-plaintiff the State of 
Louisiana, sought injunctive relief and a civil penalty to address 
sanitary sewer overflows and other violations of the Clean Water Act 
and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (``NPDES'') 
permits issued to the City of New Iberia for the Admiral Doyle and Tete 
Bayou publicly owned treatment works. Under the proposed Consent 
Decree, the City of New Iberia has agreed to build a new treatment 
works to replace the Admiral Doyle treatment works. The City will 
perform a comprehensive characterization, evaluation, and 
rehabilitation of its collection system and expedite the elimination of 
certain high priority sewer overflows from the system. In addition, the 
City will share in the cost associated with the construction, operation 
and maintenance of an equalization basin for the Tete Bayou sewage 
treatment works, which is being built by the Sewerage District No 1 of 
Iberia Parish, the co-owner of the Tete Bayou Plant. The Consent Decree 
also requires the City to adopt and implement a plan for identifying 
and eliminating illegal storm water connections on private property to 
the publicly owned or operated collection system; implement a 
maintenance program for the collection system to provide for the proper 
operation and maintenance of equipment while minimizing failures, 
malfunctions, and line blockages; and develop and implement an 
emergency response plan to adequately protect the health and welfare of 
persons in the event of any sanitary sewer overflows. The City will pay 
a civil penalty of $235,000 for past effluent and sewer overflow 
violations, one half of which will be paid to the United States and 
half of which will be paid to the State.
    The Department of Justice will receive for a period of thirty (30) 
days from the date of this publication comments relating to the Consent 
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 v. City of New Iberia, D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-07473/1.
    The Consent Decree may be examined during the public comment period 
on the following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/open.html. A copy of the Consent 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 or by faxing or e-mailing a request 
to Tonia Fleetwood ([email protected]), fax no. (202) 514-0097, 
phone confirmation number (202) 514-1547. In requesting a copy from the 
Consent Decree Library, please enclose a check

[[Page 43454]]

in the amount of $28.25 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable 
to the U.S. Treasury.

Catherine McCabe,
Deputy Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 05-14891 Filed 7-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M