Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right To Know Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Resource

Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act and the Emergency

Planning and Community Right To Know Act

Notice is hereby given that on November 30, 1998, a proposed

consent degree in United States v. Pfizer Inc., Civil Action No. 398-

CV-2317-CLG, was lodged with the United States District Court for the

District of Connecticut.

This action alleges violations of the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Emergency Planning and

Community Right to Know Act against defendant Pfizer Inc. (``Pfizer'')

at its facility located in Groton, Connecticut. The violations involve

the improper management of hazardous waste, discharges of pollutants

into the Thames River in excess of Pfizer's National Pollutant

Discharge Elimination System (``NPDES'') permits limits, discharges and

spills not authorized by Pfizer's NPDES permit, and failure to comply

with reporting and recordkeeping requirements relating to the emitting

of toxic chemicals from the Groton facility.

The consent decree provides that Pfizer will pay a civil penalty of

$625,000 and implement injunctive relief to ensure future compliance

with the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions at issue. In

addition, Pfizer will implement a supplemental environmental project

(``SEP'') at a present value cost of not less than $150,000. The SEP

involves the assessment of hazardous waste management practices at a

New England university, development of tools to

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improve hazardous waste management at the university, and

implementation of those tools. The SEP also involves training for other

universities based on what is learned in connection with the primary

facility and making available to other universities the software and

guidance tools that are developed. In addition to the SEP, Pfizer will

conduct seven training sessions for Connecticut high school, vocational

school and junior college teachers relating to hazardous waste

management issues.

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 of the Environment and Natural Resources Division,

Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and should refer to

United States v. Pfizer, Inc., Civil Action No. 398-CV-2317-CLG, D.J.

Ref. 90-7-1-795, 90-7-1-795Z.

The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Region I Office

of the Environmental Protection Agency, One Congress Street, Boston,

Massachusetts, 02203 (contact Andrea Simpson, 617-918-1738) 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 enclose a check in the amount of $22.25 (25 cents per page

reproduction cost) payable to the Consent Decree Library.

Joel M. Gross,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural

Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 98-34716 Filed 12-30-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-M