[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2983-2984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00792]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decrees Under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 
Clean Water Act, and Oil Pollution Act

    On January 8, 2024, the Department of Justice lodged five proposed 
consent decrees with the United States District Court for the Northern 
District of Ohio in the lawsuit entitled United States v. Ohio Refining 
Co., et al., Civil Action No. 3:24-cv-00039.
    The United States filed a Complaint alleging claims against Ohio 
Refining Co., LLC, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Energy Transfer (R&M), LLC, 
Pilkington North America, Inc., and Chemtrade Logistics, Inc., under 
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 
Act (``CERCLA''), the Clean Water Act, and the Oil Pollution Act for 
recovery of damages for injury to, loss of, or destruction of natural 
resources resulting from the release of hazardous substances and oil at 
the Duck & Otter Creeks NRDA Site located near Toledo, Ohio. Each 
Defendant or its predecessor historically owned and/or operated an 
industrial facility within the Site which discharged polynuclear 
aromatic hydrocarbon (``PAH'') compounds,

[[Page 2984]]

metals (including arsenic and lead), and/or oil into the creeks.
    Under the proposed Consent Decrees, the Defendants will 
collectively pay $7,225,909 in natural resource damages (``NRD''), 
consisting of $6,322,670 for Trustee-sponsored NRD restoration 
projects--as identified in a draft Department of the Interior (``DOI'') 
Restoration Plan, and $903,239 as reimbursement for NRD assessment 
costs incurred by DOI as Federal Trustee.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the consent decrees. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant 
Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and 
should refer to United States v. Ohio Refining Co., et al., D.J. Ref. 
No. 90-11-3-07084. All comments must be submitted no later than 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 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 $33.25 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Patricia McKenna,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-00792 Filed 1-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P