Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Safe Drinking

Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act

In accordance with Departmental policy, 28 C.F.R. Sec. 50.7, notice

is hereby given that a proposed consent decree in United States v.

Witco Corporation, et al., Civil Action No. CV-F-92-5705 REC, was

lodged on April 5, 1995 with the United States District Court for the

Eastern District of California.

The proposed consent decree resolves a case brought by the United

States pursuant to the Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act against Witco Corporation

(``Witco'') and Catalyst Golden Bear Cogeneration Partnership

(``Catalyst'') for violations committed at Witco's refinery located in

Oildale, California (``Refinery'').

The proposed consent decree requires Witco and Catalyst jointly to

pay $700,000 in civil penalties. The proposed decree also requires

Witco to construct and operate a wastewater recycling system as a

supplemental environmental Project and to comply with the following

injunctive relief demands: Conducting site characterization work to

determine the extent of soil and groundwater contamination at and

around the Refinery; permanently closing and abandoning all injection

wells at the Refinery; installing air pollution control and emissions

monitoring equipment on certain Refinery equipment and complying with

all federal regulations applicable to that equipment; complying with

the applicable State Implementation Plan; and training Refinery

employees concerning the proper disposal of solvents in the Refinery's

laboratory.

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 for the Environment and Natural Resources Division,

Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and should refer to

United States v. Witco Corporation, et al., DOJ Ref. #90-5-1-1-3643.

The proposed consent decree may be examined at the office of the

United States Attorney, 3654 Federal Building, 1130 ``O'' Street,

Fresno, CA 93721 (209) 487-5820; the Region IX Office of the

Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA

94105; and at the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street NW., 4th Floor,

Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 624-0892. A copy 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, D.C. 20005. In

requesting a copy please refer to the referenced case and enclose a

check in the amount of $16.75 (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. 95-9740 Filed 4-19-95; 8:45 am]

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