[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 51 (Thursday, March 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 14768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05629]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


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

    On March 12, 2021, 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 Historic Stormwater Pathway South 
Operable Unit (``Southern Pathway OU,'' also known as ``OU6'') of the 
Montrose Chemical Corp. Superfund Site 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 (Montrose Superfund Site--Historic Stormwater Pathway South 
Operable Unit)'', 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 potential state law claims, in connection with environmental 
contamination at the Southern Pathway OU. The proposed Consent Decree 
does not resolve the settling defendants' overall liability for 
environmental contamination at the Southern Pathway OU, but resolves 
their liability for the OU6 Remedial Investigation and Feasibility 
Study and certain past and future response costs described below. The 
settling defendants are TFCF America, Inc.; Bayer CropScience Inc.; 
Montrose Chemical Corporation of California; and Stauffer Management 
Company LLC. The Consent Decree requires the settling defendants to 
perform the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study of 
contamination at the Southern Pathway OU, and to make a payment of 
$3,750,000.00 toward the United States' unreimbursed Southern Pathway 
OU past costs and certain sitewide ``OU-00'' costs, and a payment of 
$250,000.00 towards DTSC's Southern Pathway OU past costs. 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 pursuant to the Consent Decree.
    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. No. 90-11-3-
511. 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 $34.00 (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 $21.50.

Lori Jonas,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-05629 Filed 3-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P