[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 156 (Wednesday, August 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48726-48727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17580]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

    On August 6, 2020, the Department of Justice and the State of 
California on behalf of the California Department of Toxic Substances 
Control (``DTSC'') lodged a proposed Consent Decree with the United 
States District Court for the Central District of California pertaining 
to environmental contamination at the Dual Site Groundwater Operable 
Unit (``Dual Site OU'') of the Montrose Chemical Corp. and Del Amo 
Superfund Sites, in Los Angeles County, California. This proposed 
Consent Decree was lodged in the case United States of America and 
State of California vs. Montrose Chemical Corp. of California et al., 
Civil Action No. 2:90-cv-03122 DOC (C.D. Cal.); it resolves certain of 
the claims in that case.
    The proposed Consent Decree, titled in full ``Partial Consent 
Decree (Dual Site Operable Unit--Chlorobenzene Plume Remedy Operation 
and Maintenance)'', resolves certain claims or potential claims under 
Sections 106 and 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. 9606, 9607, as well as 
certain

[[Page 48727]]

potential state law claims, in connection with environmental 
contamination at the Dual Site OU. The settling defendants are TFCF 
America, Inc.; Bayer CropScience Inc.; Montrose Chemical Corporation of 
California; Stauffer Management Company LLC; and JCI Jones Chemicals 
Inc. The Consent Decree requires the settling defendants to perform 
long-term operation and maintenance of the Chlorobenzene Plume Remedy 
at the Dual Site OU, and to make a payment of $4,000,000.00 toward the 
United States' unreimbursed Dual Site OU past costs and a payment of 
$177,265.36 towards DTSC's Dual Site OU past costs. (These same 
settling defendants, other than JCI Jones Chemicals Inc., have already 
committed in a previously approved partial consent decree to perform 
construction of the Chlorobenzene Plume Remedy.) The proposed Consent 
Decree also requires the settling defendants to pay the United States' 
and DTSC's future response costs for overseeing the work the settling 
defendants will be performing at the Dual Site OU.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant 
Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and 
should refer to United States of America and State of California vs. 
Montrose Chemical Corp. of California et al., D.J. Ref. Nos. 90-11-3-
511 and 90-11-2-933/3. 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 Consent Decree may be 
examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: https://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. We will provide a paper copy of the 
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 $96.00 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) for the Consent Decree, payable to the United States 
Treasury. For a paper copy without the appendices and signature pages, 
the cost is $22.25.

Henry S. Friedman,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2020-17580 Filed 8-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P