[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25023-25024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08656]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree for Natural Resource 
Damages Under the Oil Pollution Act

    On April 19, 2022, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
consent decree with the United States District Court for the Eastern 
District of Louisiana in the lawsuit entitled United States v. LLOG 
Exploration Offshore, L.L.C., Civil Action No. 2:23-cv-01301-WBV-KWR.
    The United States filed this lawsuit with respect to a crude oil 
spill that occurred at the Mississippi Canyon Block 209 subsea oil 
production system (``MC 209'') in the Gulf of Mexico beginning on or 
about October 11, 2017. The oil spilled from a fractured subsea 
wellhead jumper that connected the MC 209 Well to a subsea manifold. 
The incident lasted 32 hours and resulted in an estimated discharge of 
16,000 barrels of oil (672,000 gallons) into the waters of the Gulf of 
Mexico.
    The Complaint seeks the recovery of damages for injury to, 
destruction of, loss of, or loss of use of natural

[[Page 25024]]

resources, plus the unreimbursed costs of assessing such damages 
(collectively, ``NRD''), under Section 1002 of the Oil Pollution Act 
(``OPA''), 33 U.S.C. 2702-2762. Under the proposed consent decree, 
Defendant will pay the United States $3.1 million and, in return, 
receive a covenant not to sue under OPA for NRD relating to the MC 209 
spill, subject to specified reservations and reopeners.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the proposed consent decree. Comments should be addressed to the 
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
and should refer United States v. LLOG Exploration Offshore, L.L.C., 
D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-12640. 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 proposed 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 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 $5.75 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Thomas Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2023-08656 Filed 4-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P