Lodging of Consent Decree in Clean Water Act Case: United States, et al. v. Wayne County, Michigan, et al.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Lodging of Consent Decree in Clean Water Act Case: United States,

et al. v. Wayne County, Michigan, et al.

In accordance with Department policy and 28 CFR 50.7, notice is

hereby given that on February 11, 1994, a proposed Consent Decree in

United States, et al. v. Wayne County, Michigan, et al. (Civ. No. 87-

70992) was lodged in the United States District Court for the Eastern

District of Michigan.

The United States filed the complaint commencing this enforcement

action in 1987, under the Clean Water Act (``Act''), 33 U.S.C. Section

1251 et seq., alleging violations of Act and the National Pollution

Discharge Elimination System (``NPDES'') Permit that applies to the

waste water treatment plant (``Plant'') owned and operated by Wayne

County, Michigan, and located at 797 Central Ave, Wyandotte, Michigan.

The State of Michigan is a co-Plaintiff, and fourteen units of local

government served by the Plant are named as Defendants along with Wayne

County.

The United States, State, and all Defendants are signatories to the

proposed Consent Decree, under which the Defendants shall design,

construct, operate, and maintain significant, additional facilities--

construction of which is presently estimated to cost about $230

million. These facilities will improve both the quality and capacity of

treatment provided by the Plant and also give the Plant significant

transport and storage capacity--in the form of underground tunnels and

above-ground equalization basins--for waste water that Plaintiffs

believe is bypassed without treatment into the waters of the United

States. The Decree also requires that Wayne County pay a civil penalty

of $413,000.

The Department of Justice will receive, for a period of thirty (30)

days from the date of this publication, comments relating to the

proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant

Attorney General, Environment & Natural Resources Division, U.S.

Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and should refer to United

States, et al. v. Wayne County, Michigan, et al., DOJ Ref. #90-5-1-1-

2766.

The proposed Consent Decree may be examined at the offices of the

United States Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan, 817 Federal

Building, 231 West Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan, and at the

offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Office

of Regional Counsel, 111 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Illinois. Copies

of the proposed Consent Decree may be obtained in person or by mail

from the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street NW., 4th floor,

Washington, DC 20005, (202) 624-0892. In requesting a copy, please

enclose a check in the amount of $20.25 (25 cents per page reproduction

costs), payable to the ``Consent Decree Library.''

John C. Cruden,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural

Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 94-4785 Filed 3-2-94; 8:45 am]

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