[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32329-32330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14907]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Oil 
Pollution Act

    On July 5, 2018, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
Consent Decree with the United States District

[[Page 32330]]

Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in the lawsuit entitled 
United States of America and Louisiana v. Shell Offshore Inc., Civil 
Action No. 2:18-cv-6495. The United States is acting at the request of 
the designated federal trustees: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (``NOAA'') and the United States Department of the 
Interior (``DOI'') through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
The State of Louisiana is acting through its designated State trustees: 
The Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Department of Public 
Safety (``LOSCO''), Louisiana Department of Natural Resources 
(``LDNR''), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (``LDEQ''), 
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (``LDWF''), and the 
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (``CPRA'').
    This is a civil action brought against Defendant Shell Offshore 
Inc. (``Shell'') for recovery of damages for injury to, destruction of, 
loss of, or loss of use of natural resources, under Section 1002 of the 
Oil Pollution Act (``OPA''), 33 U.S.C. 2702, and Section 2480 of the 
Louisiana Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (``OSPRA''), La. Rev. 
Stat. 30:2480. The United States and Louisiana seek damages in order to 
compensate for and restore natural resources injured by Shell's crude 
oil spill that occurred at Shell's Green Canyon Block 248 subsea oil 
production system in the Gulf of Mexico beginning on or about May 11, 
2016. The United States and the State also seek to recover unreimbursed 
costs of assessing such injuries.
    The Complaint in this natural resource damages case was filed 
against Shell concurrently with the lodging of the proposed Consent 
Decree. The Complaint alleges that Shell is liable for damages under 
OPA and OSPRA. The Complaint alleges that Shell discharged crude oil 
into the Gulf of Mexico in May 2016 and that natural resources were 
injured as a result of the discharge.
    Under the proposed Consent Decree, Shell will pay a total of 
$3,871,169.54. Of this total, Shell will pay $3.625 million to the 
trustees to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of the natural 
resources allegedly injured, destroyed, or lost as a result of the oil 
spill and $246,169.54 to reimburse the trustees for all remaining 
unpaid assessment costs.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Acting 
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
and should refer to United States of America and Louisiana v. Shell 
Offshore Inc., D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-11920. All comments must be 
submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the publication date of 
this notice. Comments may be submitted by either email or by mail:

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         To submit comments:                     Send them to:
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By email............................  [email protected].
By mail.............................  Acting 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: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. We 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 $7.50 (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. 2018-14907 Filed 7-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-15-P