[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 35 (Thursday, February 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5432-5433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02999]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA R9-2018-17; FRL-9989-86-Region 9]


Notice of Proposed Good Samaritan Settlement Agreement and Order 
on Consent for Removal Action for the Corona/Twin Peaks Mine Site, Napa 
County, California

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed settlement; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (``CERCLA''), notice 
is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), has 
entered into a proposed settlement, embodied in an administrative Good 
Samaritan

[[Page 5433]]

Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Removal Action 
(``Settlement Agreement''), with Tuleyome. Under the Settlement 
Agreement, Tuleyome agrees to carry out a removal action that will 
include pilot studies to assess the effectiveness of various chemical 
amendments to address discharges from the Corona drainage tunnel, mine 
waste consolidation, and revegetation. The work will also include 
improvements to the existing infiltration trenches and construction of 
other surface water runoff controls.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 25, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The Settlement Agreement is available for public inspection 
at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Records 
Center, 75 Hawthorne Street, Room 3110, San Francisco, California 
94105. Telephone: 415-947-8717. Comments should be addressed to Larry 
Bradfish, Assistant Regional Counsel, Office of Regional Counsel (ORC-
3), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105; or Email: [email protected]; and should 
reference the Corona Mine/Twin Peaks Mine Site, EPA R9-2018-17. EPA's 
response to any comments received will be available for public 
inspection at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Bradfish, Assistant Regional 
Counsel (ORC-3), Office of Regional Counsel, U.S. EPA Region IX, 75 
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; Email: 
[email protected]; Phone (415) 972-3934.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of this proposed administrative 
settlement is made in accordance with the Section 122(i) of CERCLA. The 
Settlement Agreement concerns work to be done by Tuleyome, a non-liable 
party in connection with the Corona Mine/Twin Peaks Mine (``Site''), 
located in Napa County, California. Tuleyome is a non-profit volunteer 
organization focused on protecting the wild and agricultural heritage 
of the inner Coastal Range and Western Sacramento Valley California. 
Tuleyome maintains offices at 607 North Street, Woodland, CA 95695. 
Tuleyome certifies in the Settlement Agreement that it is not a liable 
party under CERCLA, and that it does not intend to acquire ownership in 
the Site. This Settlement Agreement falls under EPA's Good Samaritan 
Initiative, which adopted CERCLA administrative tools including a model 
Administrative Settlement and Order on Consent (AOC). The purpose of 
these administrative tools is to reduce barriers under CERCLA for non-
liable volunteers to clean up orphan mine sites. The Corona Mine/Twin 
Peaks Mine Settlement Agreement is based on the updated 2018 model AOC, 
and has been vetted with EPA Headquarters Office of Site Remediation 
Enforcement. Parties to the Settlement Agreement include the EPA and 
Tuleyome.
    The Site that is the subject of this Settlement Agreement includes 
32 contiguous acres of land that has been disturbed from past mining 
efforts at the Corona and Twin Peaks mercury mines. The 32-acre project 
is located within a larger 328.8-acre area that is owned by Corona/Twin 
Peaks Historical Association LLC which obtained the property from the 
previous owner, John Livermore (deceased), in 2012. Under this 
Settlement Agreement, Tuleyome agrees to carry out a removal action 
involving pilot studies to assess the effectiveness of various chemical 
amendments to address discharges from the Corona Mine drainage tunnel, 
mine waste consolidation, and revegetation. The work will also include 
improvements to existing infiltration trenches and construction of 
other surface water runoff controls. Tuleyome has performed work at the 
Site since 2016 under oversight by the California Regional Water 
Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region.
    The performance of this work by Tuleyome will be overseen by EPA. 
The settlement includes a covenant not to sue Tuleyome pursuant to 
Sections 106 or 107(a) of CERCLA. EPA will consider all comments 
received on the Settlement Agreement in accordance with the DATES and 
ADDRESSES sections of this Notice and may modify or withdraw its 
consent to the Settlement Agreement if comments received disclose facts 
or considerations that indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, 
improper, or inadequate.

    Dated: February 6, 2019.
Enrique Manzanilla,
Director, Superfund Division, EPA Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2019-02999 Filed 2-20-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P