[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67086-67087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25606]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


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

    On November 17, 2021, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
consent decree with the United States District Court for the District 
of Montana

[[Page 67087]]

in the lawsuit entitled United States et al. v. Bridger Pipeline LLC, 
Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-00122-SPW-KLD.
    The United States and the State of Montana filed this lawsuit 
against Bridger Pipeline LLC (``Bridger'') pursuant to the Oil 
Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2701-2762, and state law. The United States 
and State of Montana's complaint seeks to recover damages for injury 
to, destruction of, loss of, or loss of use of natural resources 
resulting from the discharge of oil from Bridger's Poplar Pipeline into 
the Yellowstone River near Glendive, Montana in January 2015. The 
proposed consent decree requires Bridger to pay $2,000,000 to resolve 
the United States and the State of Montana's claim for natural resource 
damages arising from the discharge. Of this amount, $1,739,795 will be 
placed in a natural resource damages fund managed by the State of 
Montana and used for addressing injuries alleged in the complaint. 
Those harms include injuries to surface water, migratory birds and 
their supporting ecosystems, fish, including the pallid sturgeon, and 
associated riverine aquatic habitat, and human service losses. 
Restoration action alternatives will be evaluated and selected by 
federal and state natural resource damages trustees in a future 
restoration plan before the funds will be spent. The restoration plan 
will be subject to public comment. The remaining $260,205 portion of 
the settlement funds will be deposited in the U.S. Department of 
Interior Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Fund, as 
reimbursement for the United States natural resource damage assessment 
costs.
    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 et al. v. Bridger Pipeline LLC, D.J. Ref. 
No. 90-5-1-1-11262/1. 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 in the following manner:

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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: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. 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 $6.50 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Jeffrey Sands,
Assistant Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-25606 Filed 11-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P