Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Clean Water Act Civil Enforcement Action

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree in Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act and Clean Water Act Civil Enforcement Action

In accordance with the Departmental Policy, 28 C.F.R. 50.7, notice

is hereby given that a Consent Decree in United States v. Wheeling-

Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, Civil Action No. 5-96-3CV-20, was lodged

with the United States District Court for the Northern District of West

Virginia on November 4, 1996.

On February 5, 1996, the United States filed a complaint against

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation (Wheeling-Pittsburgh) alleging

violations of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251

et seq. (``Clean Water Act'' or ``CWA''), and the Resource Conservation

and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq., as amended (``RCRA''),

occurring at its facility in Follansbee, West Virginia (the

``Follansbee plant''). The complaint alleged that Wheeling-Pittsburgh

violated the Clean Water Act by discharging oil and other pollutants in

violation of the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System (``NPDES'') permit. The complaint also alleged that Wheeling-

Pittsburgh violated RCRA by storing hazardous wastes in excess of 90

days without the permit of interim status required for such storage.

The proposed Consent Decree resolves Wheeling-Pittsburgh's liability

for these violations. The Decree requires Wheeling-Pittsburgh to comply

with the relevant requirements of the CWA and RCRA and to pay a civil

penalty of $200,000 for the alleged violation.

The Department of Justice will accept written comments relating to

these proposed Consent Decree for thirty (30) days from the date of

publication of this notice. Please address comments to the Assistant

Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division,

Department of Justice, P.O. Box 7611, Ben Franklin Station, Washington,

D.C. 20044 and refer to United States v. Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel

Corp., DOJ Nos. 90-5-1-4159/90-7-1-781.

Copies of the proposed Consent Decree may be examined at the Office

of the United States Attorney, Northern District of West Virginia, 1100

Main Street, Suite 200, Horne Building, Wheeling, West Virginia, 26003;

Region III Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 841 Chestnut

Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107; and at the Consent Decree

Library, 1120 G Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005 (202)

624-

[[Page 58592]]

0892). A copy of the proposed 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. When requesting a copy of the proposed Consent

Decree, please enclose a check to cover the twenty-five cents per page

reproduction costs payable to the ``Consent Decree Library'' in the

amount of $4.50.

Joel M. Gross,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural

Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

[FR Doc. 96-29285 Filed 11-14-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-01-M