[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 249 (Friday, December 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28164]


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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 Middle 
District of Louisiana in the lawsuit entitled United States et al. v. 
Sid Richardson Carbon, LTD., (M.D. La.), Civil Case. No. 3:17-cv-01792-
SDD-RLB.
    In this civil enforcement action under the federal Clean Air Act 
(``Act''), the United States, the Louisiana Department of Environmental 
Quality, and the State of Texas allege that Sid Richardson Carbon, LTD. 
(``Defendant''), failed to comply with certain requirements of the Act 
intended to protect air quality at three carbon black manufacturing 
facilities in Addis, Louisiana and Borger and Big Spring, Texas. 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; the Act's Nonattainment New Source 
Review provisions, 42 U.S.C. 7501-7515; the Act's National Emissions 
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, 42 U.S.C. 7412; 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 Addis, 
Borger, and Big Spring 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 PM 
emissions through the installation and operation of pollution controls. 
The Defendant will also spend $490,000 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 $999,000.
    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. Sid Richardson Carbon, 
LTD., (M.D. La.), D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-2-1-10663. 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, D.C. 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 P. Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-28164 Filed 12-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-15-P