[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 14 (Thursday, January 23, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8049-8050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01555]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Safe
Drinking Water Act
On January 16, 2025, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed
consent decree with the United States District Court for the Central
District of California in the lawsuit entitled United States v. Sophia
Lawson Clark, in her capacity as Administrator of the Estate of Scott
Lawson, and Lopez to Lawson, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:23-cv-1650.
This case involves violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(``SDWA'') at the Oasis Mobile Home Park (the ``Park'') located in
Thermal, California. The Park has a public water system that relies on
groundwater with high levels of naturally occurring arsenic, a
carcinogen that is harmful to human health. In August 2023, the United
States filed a complaint against the Defendants alleging violations of
the Underground Injection Control regulations with respect to the
Defendants' wastewater system as provided in section 1421 of the SDWA,
42 U.S.C. 300h, and its implementing regulations at 40 CFR part 144;
violations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's
(``EPA'') emergency administrative order under section 1431 of the
SDWA, 42 U.S.C. 300i(b), to address deficiencies with the Defendants'
public drinking water system; and that the Defendants' public drinking
water and wastewater systems presented an imminent and substantial
endangerment to the health of its users as provided under section
1431(a) of the SDWA, 42 U.S.C. 300i(a).
Under the Consent Decree, the Defendants shall pay the United
States a $50,000 civil penalty. The Consent Decree also requires the
Defendants to undertake injunctive relief to achieve consistent SDWA
compliance. Once the Defendants have fully addressed the compliance for
the drinking water system, they will then begin work on the wastewater
system and identify corrective actions that they will then take steps
to address through an EPA-approved compliance schedule.
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 v. Sophia Lawson Clark, in her capacity as
Administrator of the Estate of Scott Lawson, and Lopez to Lawson, Inc.,
D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-12437, Case Action No. 23-cv-01650. 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:
[[Page 8050]]
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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.
During the public comment period, the 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 consent decree, you may request assistance by email or by
mail to the addresses provided above for submitting comments.
Scott Bauer,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2025-01555 Filed 1-22-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P