[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52537-52538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21421]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed Modified Consent Decree Under the
Clean Water Act
On September 19, 2019, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed
modified consent decree with the
[[Page 52538]]
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
in the lawsuit entitled United States, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, and Allegheny County Health Department v.
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (``Alcosan''), Civil Action No.
2:07-cv-00737.
The proposed modified consent decree would replace a consent decree
entered by the court on January 24, 2008, which resolved claims under
Sections 301 and 402 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1311, 1342, that
Alcosan violated the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into
waters of the United States without a permit, and by discharging
pollutants in a manner not contemplated by its National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (``NPDES'') permit. Those violations
occurred primarily during wet weather, which causes Alcosan's sewer
system to overload and to discharge through a network of outfalls that
run along three main rivers in the area--the Allegheny, Ohio, and
Monogahela Rivers. Alcosan paid a civil penalty to the Plaintiffs of
$1.2 million and completed supplemental environmental projects under
the 2008 consent decree. The proposed modified consent decree, among
other things: (1) Approves a long-term plan under which Alcosan will
reduce sewer overflows; (2) extends the time period for Alcosan to
implement the long-term plan; and (3) incorporates additional
opportunities to modify the long-term plan.
The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on
the proposed modified consent decree. Comments should be addressed to
the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources
Division, and should refer to United States v. Alcosan, D.J. Ref. No.
90-5-1-1-4414. All comments must be submitted no later than sixty (60)
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 modified 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 modified 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 $74.25 (25 cents per page
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury. For a paper
copy without the exhibits and signature pages, the cost is $28.75.
Jeffrey Sands,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2019-21421 Filed 10-1-19; 8:45 am]
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