Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

In accordance with Departmental policy, the Department of Justice

gives notice that a proposed consent decree in the consolidated cases

captioned United States v. Ford Motor Company, et al., Case No. 98-

73266 (E.D. Mich.) (formerly designated Case No. 98-60085) and Ford

Motor Company, et al. v. United States, Case No. 98-71305 (E.D. Mich.)

was lodged with the United States District Court for the Eastern

District of Michigan on April 20, 1999, pertaining to the Willow Run

Creek Superfund Site, located in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties, Michigan

(the ``Site'').

The proposed consent decree would resolve the United States' civil

claims for past response costs relating to the Site under section 107

of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and

Liability Act, as amended ``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C. 9607, against the

eight defendants named in Case No. 98-73266. The eight settling

defendants are Ford Motor Company; General Motors Corporation; Chrysler

Corporation; Chrysler Pentastar Aviation, Inc.; The Regents of the

University of Michigan; Wayne County, Michigan; Ypsilanti Township,

Michigan; and the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority. As provided

by the proposed consent decree, the eight settling defendants would pay

a total of $1.10 million to the EPA Hazardous Substances Superfund.

The proposed consent decree also would resolve CERCLA contribution

claims for past and future response costs relating to the Site

(including claims arising out of injury to, destruction of, of loss of

natural resources at the Site) asserted against the United States.

Under the proposed consent decree, the United States, on behalf of

certain Settling Federal Agencies, would pay an additional $50,000 to

the EPA Hazardous Substances Superfund, and would pay $450,000 to the

plaintiffs in Case No. 98-71305.

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, Environment and Natural Resource Division, United

States Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and should refer to

United States v. Ford Motor Company, et al., Case No. 98-73266 (E.D.

Mich.), and DOJ Reference No. 90-1-3-1753.

The proposed consent decree may be examined at: (1) The Office of

the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, 211 W.

Fort Street, Suite 2300, Detroit, MI 48226-3211; (2) the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (Region 5), 77 West Jackson Boulevard,

Chicago, IL 60604-3590 (contact Thomas Kenney (312-886-0708)); and (3)

the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources

Division Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street, NW, 3rd Floor,

Washington, DC 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, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20005. In

requesting a copy, please refer to the referenced case and DOJ

Reference Number and enclose a check

[[Page 25070]]

in the amount of $9.50 for the consent decree only (38 pages at 25

cents per page reproduction costs), or $10.00 for the consent decree

and all appendices (40 pages), made payable to the Consent Decree

Library.

Joel M. Gross,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural

Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 99-11664 Filed 5-7-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-M