Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Water Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Water

Act

In accordance with Departmental policy, 28 CFR 50.7, notice is

hereby given that a proposed amended consent decree (``Amended

Decree'') in United States v. Government of the Virgin Islands, Civil

Action No. 84-104, as well as a Stipulated Modifications of Consent

Decree (``Stipulation''), were lodged on October 11, 1995 with the

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United States District Court for the Virgin Islands.

In March 1984, the United States filed a complaint against the

Government of the Virgin Islands (``VI'') alleging violations of the

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq. (the ``Act''). In

September 1985, the United States and the VI entered into a consent

decree (``Original Decree'') to resolve the claims in the complaint. In

March 1991, the United States filed a motion seeking to hold the VI in

contempt for certain violations of the Original Decree. The Amended

Decree and Stipulation are a resolution of this motion for contempt.

Pursuant to the Amended Decree and the Stipulation, the VI will pay

a penalty of $375,000 for violations of the Original Decree. The VI has

also agreed, inter alia, to (1) construct a new wastewater treatment

plant on St. Thomas, known as the Mangrove Lagoon Regional Wastewater

Treatment Plant, pursuant to a revised timetable, (2) construct a new

wastewater treatment plant on St. John, known as the Cruz Bay Regional

Wastewater Treatment Plant, (3) place $2 million into a corrective

action trust fund over a period of two years to fund certain specific

operational improvements at nine wastewater treatment plants operated

by the VI (these plants include Charlotte Amalie, Donoe, Old Tutu, New

Tutu, Nadir, Bordeaux, Brassview, Vessup Bay, and St. Croix), and (4)

meet interim effluent limits for a certain period of time, after which

final Territorial Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit limits

would be met, at the nine wastewater treatment plants listed above, as

well as at the Brassview and George Simmonds plants.

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

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

proposed Amended Decree and Stipulation. Comments should be addressed

to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural

Resources Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and

should refer to United States v. Government of the Virgin Islands, DOJ.

No. 90-5-1-1-1911A.

The proposed Amended Decree and Stipulation may be examined at the

Region 2 Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway,

New York, NY, at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Building and U.S.

Courthouse, 5500 Veterans Drive, Suite 260, St. Thomas 00802-6424, and

at the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street, NW., 4th Floor,

Washington, DC 20005, (202) 624-0892. A copy of the proposed Amended

Decree and Stipulation may be obtained in person or by mail from the

Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street, NW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC

20005. In requesting a copy of the proposed Amended Decree and

Stipulation please refer to the referenced case and enclose a check in

the amount of $16.00 (25 cents per page reproduction costs), payable to

the Consent Decree Library.

Joel M. Gross,

Acting Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 95-27479 Filed 11-6-95; 8:45 am]

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