Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

In accordance with Section 122(d) of the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, 42

U.S.C. 9622(d), and the policy of the United States Department of

Justice, as provided in 28 CFR 50.7, notice is hereby given that on

June 14, 1996, a proposed Consent Decree in United States v. Ciba-Geigy

Corporation, Civ. No. 96-0571-CB-M, was lodged with the United States

District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. This Consent

Decree concerns Operable Unit Three of the Ciba-Geigy Corporation

manufacturing plant site (``the Site'') adjacent to the Tombigbee River

near McIntosh, Alabama. Pursuant to Sections 106 and 107(a) of CERCLA,

the Complaint in this action seeks recovery of past response costs

incurred by the United States at the entire Site, future response costs

in connection with the proposed Decree,

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and injunctive relief for Operable Unit No. Three (``OU3''). OU3

consists of a contaminated floodplain and wetlands area at the Site.

Ciba-Geigy has agreed in the proposed Consent Decree to: (1) perform

the selected remedy for OU3, which includes excavation and remediation

of certain contaminated soils and sediments, and bioremediation of

another 10 acres in ecologically sensitive areas, at a total estimated

cost of $1.5 million; and (2) reimburse the United States for all of

its outstanding past response costs incurred at the Site not covered

under previous Consent Decrees executed by Ciba-Geigy for Operable

Units Two and Four of the Site, and also reimburse EPA for all of its

future response and oversight costs incurred in connection with OU3 and

this Decree.

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

days from the date of this publication, comments concerning the

proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant

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

Department of Justice, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, D.C., 20044, and

should refer to United States v. Ciba-Geigy Corporation (Operable Unit

3 of Ciba-Geigy McIntosh, Alabama Site), D.J. Ref. 90-11-2-781B.

The proposed Consent Decree may be examined at any of the following

offices: (1) the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern

District of Alabama, U.S. Courthouse, 113 St. Joseph Street, Mobile,

Alabama; (2) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 345

Courtland Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia; and (3) the Consent Decree

Library, 1120 G Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005

(telephone (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, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. For a copy of the

Consent Decree with attachments (Record of Decision, Statement of Work

and Site map), please refer to the referenced case and enclose a check

for $51.25 ($.25 per page reproduction charge) payable to ``Consent

Decree Library.'' For a copy of the Consent Decree without those

attachments, please refer to the referenced case and enclose a check

for $22.00 ($.25 per page reproduction charge) payable to ``Consent

Decree Library.''

Joel Gross,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment & Natural

Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 96-16273 Filed 6-25-96; 8:45 am]

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