Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Oil Pollution

Act of 1990

Notice is hereby given that a proposed Consent Decree in United

States v. UNOCAL Civil Action #H-97-2678 was lodged on August 5, 1997,

with the United States District Court for the Southern District of

Texas, Houston Division. The parties to the Consent Decree are the

United States, on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of the

Interior (``DOI'' or ``Federal Trustee'') and the State of Texas on

behalf of the Texas General Land Office (``TGLO''), the Texas Natural

Resource Conservation Commission (``TNRCC''), and the Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department (``TPWD'') (collectively, ``State Trustees'') and

UNOCAL. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, UNOCAL agrees to pay

$200,000 to create 3 acres of wetlands in the Neches River basin as

compensation for natural resource damages suffered as a result of a

discharge of crude oil from a UNOCAL air eliminator discharge line on

April 20, 1993, plus $20,000 in future administrative costs.

Contemporaneously with lodging the Consent Decree, the United

States and the State of Texas jointly filed a complaint alleging that

UNOCAL is an owner or operator of the facility that released the crude

oil within the meaning of the OPA.

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. UNOCAL, DOJ Reference Number 90-5-1-1-4340.

The proposed Consent Decree may be examined at the Consent Decree

Library, 1120 G Street, N.W., 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, N.W., 4th

Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. In requesting a copy please refer to the

referenced case and enclose a check in the amount of $3.50 (25 cents

per page reproduction costs), payable to the Consent Decree Library.

Walker Smith,

Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 97-22195 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-M