[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28101]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Clean Air 
Act

    On December 22, 2017, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
Consent Decree with the United States District Court for the Western 
District of Louisiana in the lawsuit entitled United States et al. v. 
Columbian Chemical Company, (W.D. La.), Civil Case. No. 6:17-cv-01661.
    In this civil enforcement action under the federal Clean Air Act 
(``Act''), the United States the Louisiana Department of Environmental 
Quality, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment allege 
that Columbian Chemical Company (``Defendant''), failed to comply with 
certain requirements of the Act intended to protect air quality at 
three carbon black manufacturing facilities in North Bend, Louisiana, 
and Hickok, Kansas. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and civil 
penalties for violations of the Clean Air Act's Prevention of 
Significant Deterioration (``PSD'') provisions, 42 U.S.C. 7470-92 and 
various Clean Air Act implementing regulations. The complaint alleges 
that Defendant failed to obtain appropriate permits and failed to 
install and operate required pollution control devices to reduce 
emissions of sulfur dioxide (``SO2''), nitrogen oxides 
(``NOX''), and/or particulate matter (``PM'') at the tow 
facilities.
    The proposed Consent Decree would resolve violations for certain 
provisions of the Act at the three facilities, and would require the 
Defendant to reduce harmful SO2, NOX, and 
particulate matter emissions through the installation and operation of 
pollution controls. The Defendant will also spend $375,000 to fund 
environmental mitigation projects that will further reduce emissions 
and benefit communities adversely affected by the pollution from the 
facilities, and pay a civil penalty of $650,000.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the 
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
and should refer to United States et al. v. Colombian Chemical Company 
(W.D. La.), D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-2-1-10943. All comments must be 
submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the publication date of 
this notice. Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail:

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            To submit comments:                     Send them to:
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By email..................................  [email protected].
By mail...................................  Assistant Attorney General,
                                             U.S. DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box
                                             7611, Washington, DC 20044-
                                             7611.
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    During the public comment period, the proposed Consent Decree may 
be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. The Justice Department will provide 
a paper copy of the proposed Consent Decree upon written request and 
payment of reproduction costs. Please mail your request and payment to: 
Consent Decree Library, U.S. DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 
20044-7611.
    Please enclose a check or money order for $26.75 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Thomas Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-28101 Filed 12-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-15-P