[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 182 (Thursday, September 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 53796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4648]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice Of Public Comment Period for Proposed Clean Water Act 
Consent Decree

    Under 28 CFR 50.7, notice is hereby given that, for a period of 30 
days, the United States will receive public comments on a proposed 
Consent Decree in United States v. The Meridian Resource & Exploration 
LLC et al. (``Meridian Consent Decree'') (Civil Action No. 07-1482), 
which was lodged with the United States District Court for the Western 
District of Louisiana on September 6, 2007.
    This proposed Consent Decree was lodged simultaneously with the 
Complaint in this Clean Water Act case against The Meridian Resource & 
Exploration LLC and Louisiana Onshore Properties LLC (collectively, 
``Meridian''). The Complaint alleges that Meridian is civilly liable 
for violations of the Clean Water Act (``CWA''), 33 U.S.C. 1251 et 
seq., as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (``OPA''), 33 U.S.C. 
2701 et seq. The Complaint seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief 
for five unauthorized discharges of crude oil into navigable waters of 
the United States or adjoining shorelines from Meridian's operations at 
the Weeks Island field in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. In particular, the 
Complaint alleges that approximately 747 barrels of crude oil were 
discharged from two pipelines and an oil well owned by Louisiana 
Onshore Properties LLC and operated by The Meridian Resource & 
Exploration LLC. The Discharges occurred between approximately November 
2005 and November 1, 2006.
    Under the settlement, Meridian will take a number of actions to 
enhance its efforts to inspect, monitor, maintain, and repair its Weeks 
Island facilities in order to prevent and respond more quickly to 
future unauthorized discharges. In addition, Meridian will pay a civil 
penalty of $504,000.
    Comments should be addressed to the Acting Assistant Attorney 
General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and may be 
submitted to: P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 
20044-7611, or via e-mail to [email protected]. and should 
refer to United States v. The Meridian Resource & Exploration LLC et 
al., D.J. Ref. 90-5-1-1-08993.
    The Consent Decree may be examined at the Office of the United 
States Attorney, Western District of Louisiana, 800 Lafayette Street, 
Suite 2200, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501. During the public comment 
period the Meridian Consent Decree may also be examined on the 
following Department of Justice Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. A copy of the Meridian Consent Decree also may 
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 in the amount of $7.50 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) 
payable to the U.S. Treasury.

Thomas A. Mariani, Jr.,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 07-4648 Filed 9-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M