Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Water Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Clean Water

Act

In accordance with the policy of the Department of Justice, 28 CFR

50.7, notice is hereby given that a proposed consent decree in United

States v. Stone Container Corp., Civ. No. CIV-97-1971-PHX-EHC, was

lodged with the United States District Court for the District of

Arizona, on September 23, 1997. That action was brought against

defendant pursuant to the Clean Water Act (``the

[[Page 52575]]

Act'') for penalties and injunctive relief as a result of unauthorized

discharges from Stone Container Corp's (Stone) pulp and paper mill,

located in Snowflake, AZ, into Dry Lake and Twin Lakes, two playa lakes

on its property. The proposed consent decree requires Stone, inter

alia, to cease all discharge to Dry Lake by January 1, 1997, which it

did, to remediate Dry Lake allowing it to return to its natural state,

and to pay a civil penalty of $375,000. In addition, Stone will use its

mill effluent to fertilize and irrigate a ``biomass plantation'' it has

created on its property to grow trees and other crops. Stone must

operate this biomass plantation in accordance with best management

practices set forth in the decree, which among other things, allow the

discharge of mill effluent into Twin Lakes under certain limited

conditions.

The Department of Justice will receive comments relating to the

proposed consent decree for a period of 30 days from the date of this

publication. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney

General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department

of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530. All comments should refer to United

States v. Stone Container Corp., D.J. Ref. 90-5-1-1-3208.

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

United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, 4000 United States

Courthouse, 230 N. First Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85025, at the Region IX

office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San

Francisco, California 94105, and 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. In requesting a copy, please enclose a

check in the amount of $14.75 for the decree (25 cents per page

reproduction costs) payable to the Consent Decree Library. When

requesting a copy, please refer to United States v. Stone Container

Corp., D.J. Ref. 90-5-1-1-3208.

Walker Smith,

Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 97-26656 Filed 10-7-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-M