Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act; Navajo Refining Co.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Solid Waste

Disposal Act; Navajo Refining Co.

In accordance with Departmental policy, 28 CFR 50.7, notice is

hereby given that a proposed consent decree in United States v. Navajo

Refining Company, Civil Action No. C93-860-M/WWD was lodged on

September 22, 1998, with the United States District Court for the

District of New Mexico. The Consent Decree requires defendant Navajo

Refining Company (``NRC''), a private company not affiliated with the

Navaho Indian Nation, to upgrade the wastewater treatment system at its

Artesia, New Mexico petroleum refinery, cease all discharges of

refinery wastewater to the earthen evaporation ponds located three

miles northeast of the refinery, adopt an alternate means of disposing

of the refinery's wastewater approved by the United States

Environmental Protection Agency and the New Mexico Department of the

Environment, and pay a civil penalty of $1.75 million.

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. Navajo Refining Company, DOJ Ref. #90-7-1-723.

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

United States Attorney, P.O. Box 607, Albuquerque, NM 87103; the Region

6 Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 1445 Ross Avenue,

Dallas, TX 75202, and at the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street,

N.W., 3rd 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., 3rd Floor, Washington,

D.C. 20005. In requesting a copy please refer to the referenced case

and enclose a check in the amount of $10.25 for the consent decree, and

$4.00 for the attachments (25 cents per page reproduction costs),

payable to the Consent Decree Library.

Walker B. Smith,

Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 98-27691 Filed 10-14-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-01-M