[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61591-61592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28098]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Clean Air 
Act

    On December 22, 2017, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
Consent Decree with the United States District Court for the Western 
District of Louisiana in the lawsuit entitled United States and the 
State of Louisiana v. Orion Engineered Carbons, LLC (W.D. La.), Civil 
Action No. 6:17-cv-01660.
    In this civil enforcement action under the federal Clean Air Act 
(``Act''), the United States and the State of Louisiana allege that 
Orion Engineered Carbons, LLC (``Defendant''), failed to comply with 
certain requirements of the Act intended to protect air quality at four 
carbon black manufacturing facilities in Franklin, Louisiana, Borger, 
Texas, Orange, Texas, and Belpre, Ohio. The complaint seeks injunctive 
relief and civil penalties for violations of the Act's Prevention of 
Significant Deterioration provisions, 42 U.S.C. 7470-92, the Act's 
Nonattainment New Source Review provisions, 42 U.S.C. 7501-7515, the 
Act's Title V permit provisions and certain operating permit 
requirements, 42 U.S.C. 7661a-76661f, and various Clean Air Act 
implementing regulations. The complaint alleges that Defendant failed 
to obtain appropriate permits and failed to install and operate 
required pollution control devices to reduce emissions of sulfur 
dioxide (``SO2''), nitrogen oxides (``NOX''), 
and/or particulate matter (``PM'') at its four carbon black facilities.
    The proposed Consent Decree would resolve violations for certain 
provisions of the Act at the four facilities, and would require the 
Defendant to reduce harmful SO2, NOX, and PM 
emissions through the installation and operation of pollution controls. 
The Defendant will also spend $550,000 to fund environmental mitigation 
projects that will further reduce emissions and benefit communities 
adversely affected by the pollution from the facilities, and pay a 
civil penalty of $800,000.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the 
Assistant

[[Page 61592]]

Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and 
should refer to United States et al. v. Orion Engineered Carbon, LLC 
(W.D. La.), D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-2-1-10189. All comments must be 
submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the publication date of 
this notice. Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail:

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         To submit comments:                     Send them to:
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By email............................  [email protected].
By mail.............................  Assistant Attorney General
                                      U.S. DOJ--ENRD
                                      P.O. Box 7611
                                      Washington, DC 20044-7611.
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    During the public comment period, the proposed Consent Decree may 
be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. We will provide a paper copy of 
the proposed Consent Decree upon written request and payment of 
reproduction costs. Please mail your request and payment to: Consent 
Decree Library, U.S. DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-
7611.
    Please enclose a check or money order for $29.50 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Thomas P. Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-28098 Filed 12-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-15-P