[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36832-36833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09711]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed Modification of Consent Decree
under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act
On April 26, 2024, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed
Agreement and Order Regarding Fourth Modification of Consent Decree
with the United States District Court for the Southern District of
Texas in the lawsuit entitled United States v. French Limited, Inc., et
al., original case No. H-89-2544 (new case No. 4:89-cv-2544).
The original Consent Decree, entered by the Court on March 7, 1990,
resolved the United States' claims, on behalf of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), against eighty-six (86) Settling
Defendants under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C.
9601 et seq., for contamination at the French Limited Superfund Site
located near Crosby, Texas (the Site). Pursuant to the 1990 Consent
Decree, Settling Defendants are obligated to perform response
activities at the Site as selected by EPA in a Record of Decision
signed on March 24, 1988, or have resolved their Site liability through
a cash payment. Certain Settling Defendants known as the French Limited
Trust Group (Group) remain responsible for ongoing work under the 1990
Consent Decree.
In response to new information, and after notice and consideration
of public comments on its proposal, on September 30, 2014, EPA revised
the groundwater remedy for the Site through an Amendment to the Record
of decision. The proposed Agreement and Order Regarding Fourth
Modification of Consent Decree is between the United States and the
sixteen Settling Defendants who are signatories to that Agreement and
Order and would modify the Consent Decree to reflect the revised work
requirements of the 2014 ROD Amendment, provide for the reimbursement
to EPA of certain EPA response costs, and provide for the disbursement
to members of the working Group of funds received by EPA in a
Bankruptcy Settlement payment for the Site.
The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on
the proposed Agreement and Order Regarding Fourth Modification of
Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney
General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer
to United States v. French Limited, Inc., et al., Case No. H-89-2544,
D.J. Ref. No. 90-11-3-46A. 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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Any comments submitted in writing may be filed by the United States
in whole or in part on the public court docket without notice to the
commenter.
[[Page 36833]]
During the public comment period, the Agreement and Order Regarding
Fourth Modification of Consent decree may be examined and downloaded at
this Justice Department website: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. If you require assistance accessing the Agreement and Order,
you may request assistance by email or by mail to the addresses
provided above for submitting comments.
Thomas Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-09711 Filed 5-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P