Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act and

the Safe Drinking Water Act

Under 28 C.F.R. 50.7, notice is hereby given that on August 25,

1997, a proposed Consent Decree in United States v. Bethlehem Steel

Corp., Civil Action No. 2-96-096, was lodged with the United States

District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

In this action, the United States sought penalties and injunctive

relief for claims under Section 301(a) of the Clean Water Act

(``CWA''), 33 U.S.C. 1311(a), for unpermitted discharges of pollutants,

and for claims under Section 1423 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42

U.S.C. 300h-2, for violation of underground injection control (``UIC'')

permits issued by EPA. The claims arose in connection with Bethlehem

Steel Corporation's facility in Burns Harbor, Indiana. Under the

Consent Decree, Bethlehem Steel Corporation will pay a civil penalty of

$441,300 and will perform injunction relief, including the continued

operation and maintenance of a series of dewatering wells designed to

prevent unpermitted discharges of pollutants, the reconstruction of a

blast furnace slag quench basin, and the training of operators of its

underground injection control wells.

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

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

Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General

of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of

Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and should refer to United States v.

Bethlehem Steel Corp., D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-4271.

The Consent Decree may be examined at the Office of the United

States Attorney, 1001 Main St., Suite A, Dyer, IN 46311, at the Region

5 Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West

Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604-3590, and at the Consent Decree

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

of the 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 above-referenced case

and enclose a check in the amount of $13.75 ($.25 per page reproduction

costs) payable to the Consent Decree Library.

Bruce S. Gelber,

Deputy Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment

and Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 97-23877 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]

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