Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Oil Pollution and Clean Water Acts, 73805-73806 [2021-28092]

Download as PDF khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 28, 2021 / Notices Written submissions on the public interest must be filed no later than by close of business, eight calendar days after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. There will be further opportunities for comment on the public interest after the issuance of any final initial determination in this investigation. Any written submissions on other issues must also be filed by no later than the close of business, eight calendar days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Complainant may file replies to any written submissions no later than three calendar days after the date on which any initial submissions were due. No other submissions will be accepted, unless requested by the Commission. Any submissions and replies filed in response to this Notice are limited to five (5) pages in length, inclusive of attachments. Persons filing written submissions must file the original document electronically on or before the deadlines stated above. Submissions should refer to the docket number (‘‘Docket No. 3586’’) in a prominent place on the cover page and/or the first page. (See Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures, Electronic Filing Procedures 1). Please note the Secretary’s Office will accept only electronic filings during this time. Filings must be made through the Commission’s Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, https:// edis.usitc.gov.) No in-person paperbased filings or paper copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. Persons with questions regarding filing should contact the Secretary at EDIS3Help@usitc.gov. Any person desiring to submit a document to the Commission in confidence must request confidential treatment. All such requests should be directed to the Secretary to the Commission and must include a full statement of the reasons why the Commission should grant such treatment. See 19 CFR 201.6. Documents for which confidential treatment by the Commission is properly sought will be treated accordingly. All information, including confidential business information and documents for which confidential treatment is properly sought, submitted to the Commission for purposes of this Investigation may be disclosed to and used: (i) By the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the records 1 Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures: https://www.usitc.gov/documents/handbook_on_ filing_procedures.pdf. VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:45 Dec 27, 2021 Jkt 256001 of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits, reviews, and evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 U.S.C. appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract personnel,2 solely for cybersecurity purposes. All nonconfidential written submissions will be available for public inspection at the Office of the Secretary and on EDIS.3 This action is taken under the authority of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), and of §§ 201.10 and 210.8(c) of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.10, 210.8(c)). By order of the Commission. Issued: December 21, 2021. Lisa Barton, Secretary to the Commission. [FR Doc. 2021–28114 Filed 12–27–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7020–02–P DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Oil Pollution and Clean Water Acts On December 20, 2021, the United States’ Department of Justice lodged a proposed Consent Decree with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in United States v. Taylor Energy Company LLC, Civil Case No. 20–2910 (E.D. La.). The Complaint in this civil action, filed on October 23, 2020, seeks removal costs, civil penalties, and natural resource damages (NRD) under Section 1002 and 1004 of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), 33 U.S.C. 2702 and 2704, and Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1321. These claims arise from the discharge of oil from Taylor Energy Company LLC’s (Taylor Energy’s) former oil production facility on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, which began when the facility was damaged during a hurricane in September 2004. Under the proposed Consent Decree, Taylor Energy will pay approximately $43.5 million—all of the company’s available remaining assets—allocated as $15 million to a civil penalty, $16.5 million to NRD, and over $12 million to the U.S. Coast Guard removal costs, to resolve the civil claims arising from the oil discharge. The State of Louisiana is a co-trustee for natural resources injured 2 All contract personnel will sign appropriate nondisclosure agreements. 3 Electronic Document Information System (EDIS): https://edis.usitc.gov. PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 73805 by the spill, and the NRD money is a joint recovery to be used for natural resource restoration projects selected by the federal and State trustees. Taylor Energy will also transfer to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)’s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) over $432 million currently held in a trust for plugging the seafloor oil wells and otherwise decommissioning the facility, and the company will be barred from interfering in any way with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE’s) decommissioning work. Likewise, Taylor Energy commits not to interfere with the Coast Guard’s oil containment and removal actions and agrees to turn over to DOI and the Coast Guard documents (including data, studies, reports, etc.) relating to the site to assist in the decommissioning and response efforts. Upon liquidation, Taylor Energy will transfer the value of its remaining assets to the U.S. as its final payment. In addition, the proposed Consent Decree requires the company to dismiss with prejudice its numerous lawsuits against the U.S., including challenges to the Coast Guard’s decision to install a spill containment system and an appeal of the Coast Guard’s denial of Taylor Energy’s $353 million spill-cost reimbursement claim submitted to the U.S. Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. The United States Department of Justice filed the proposed Consent Decree on behalf of the Coast Guard, DOI, and the federal and State trustees for natural resources. The designated federal trustees for the natural resources impacted by Taylor Energy’s oil spill are the U.S. Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and DOI through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The designated State trustees are the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office, Department of Public Safety & Corrections; Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The publication of this notice opens a 40-day period for public comment on the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer to United States v. Taylor Energy Company LLC, DJ# 90–5–1–1–11008/2, Civil Case No. 20–2910 (E.D. La.). All comments must be submitted no later than 40 days after the publication date of this notice. E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM 28DEN1 73806 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 28, 2021 / Notices Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail: To submit comments: Send them to: By email ....... pubcomment-ees.enrd@ usdoj.gov. Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611. By mail ......... 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 enclose a check or money order for $14.50 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury to: Consent Decree Library, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611. Thomas Carroll, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. [FR Doc. 2021–28092 Filed 12–27–21; 8:45 am] khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES BILLING CODE 4410–15–P Water Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and the Clean Streams Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and to ensure compliance with any applicable permits issued to Defendant concerning the proper operation and maintenance of the Authority’s waste water treatment plants and collection systems. The proposed Consent Decree establishes injunctive relief measures to achieve the above purposes, and secures a civil penalty in the amount of $450,000. The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer to United States of America, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection v. Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, Civil Action No. 21– cv–557 (E.D. Pa.)., D.J. Ref. No. 90–5–1– 1–10715. All comments must be submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the publication date of this notice. Comments may be submitted by email or by mail: To submit comments: Send them to: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE By email ....... Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act By mail ......... pubcomment-ees.enrd@ usdoj.gov. Assistant Attorney General U.S. DOJ—ENRD P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611. On December 22, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in, and simultaneously lodged a Consent Decree with, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the matter of United States of America, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection v. Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, Civil Action No. 21– cv–557 (E.D. Pa.). The Complaint alleges that the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (the ‘‘Authority’’) violated its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, the Clean Water Act, and the Pennsylvania Clean Streams law by failing to prohibit unpermitted discharges in the form of sanitary sewer overflows (‘‘SSOs’’) and failing to properly operate and maintain its system. The proposed Consent Decree seeks to resolve the alleged claims in the complaint. The Parties’ express purpose entering into this Consent Decree is for the Authority to take all measures necessary to comply with the Clean VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:45 Dec 27, 2021 Jkt 256001 During the public comment period, the proposed amendments to the 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 amendments 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 $26.50 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury. Jeffrey Sands, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. [FR Doc. 2021–28197 Filed 12–27–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410–15–P PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES National Endowment for the Arts Submission for OMB Emergency Review of the ‘‘2022 Arts Supplement to the General Social Survey’’ National Endowment for the Arts, National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure the requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the NEA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information collection on arts participation in the U.S.: Clearance Request for NEA 2022 Arts Supplement to the General Social Survey. Copies of this ICR (information collection request), with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by visiting www.Reginfo.gov. DATES: The National Endowment for the Arts is requesting OMB’s approval of this emergency request by January 21, 2022. Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the address section below within 5 days from the date of this publication in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Send written comments and recommendations for proposed information collection requests within 5 days of publication of this Notice to Sunil Iyengar at research@arts.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NEA is particularly interested in comments which: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM 28DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73805-73806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28092]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Oil 
Pollution and Clean Water Acts

    On December 20, 2021, the United States' Department of Justice 
lodged a proposed Consent Decree with the U.S. District Court for the 
Eastern District of Louisiana in United States v. Taylor Energy Company 
LLC, Civil Case No. 20-2910 (E.D. La.).
    The Complaint in this civil action, filed on October 23, 2020, 
seeks removal costs, civil penalties, and natural resource damages 
(NRD) under Section 1002 and 1004 of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), 33 
U.S.C. 2702 and 2704, and Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 
1321. These claims arise from the discharge of oil from Taylor Energy 
Company LLC's (Taylor Energy's) former oil production facility on the 
Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, which began when the 
facility was damaged during a hurricane in September 2004.
    Under the proposed Consent Decree, Taylor Energy will pay 
approximately $43.5 million--all of the company's available remaining 
assets--allocated as $15 million to a civil penalty, $16.5 million to 
NRD, and over $12 million to the U.S. Coast Guard removal costs, to 
resolve the civil claims arising from the oil discharge. The State of 
Louisiana is a co-trustee for natural resources injured by the spill, 
and the NRD money is a joint recovery to be used for natural resource 
restoration projects selected by the federal and State trustees. Taylor 
Energy will also transfer to the U.S. Department of the Interior 
(DOI)'s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) over $432 million 
currently held in a trust for plugging the seafloor oil wells and 
otherwise decommissioning the facility, and the company will be barred 
from interfering in any way with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement's (BSEE's) decommissioning work. Likewise, Taylor Energy 
commits not to interfere with the Coast Guard's oil containment and 
removal actions and agrees to turn over to DOI and the Coast Guard 
documents (including data, studies, reports, etc.) relating to the site 
to assist in the decommissioning and response efforts. Upon 
liquidation, Taylor Energy will transfer the value of its remaining 
assets to the U.S. as its final payment.
    In addition, the proposed Consent Decree requires the company to 
dismiss with prejudice its numerous lawsuits against the U.S., 
including challenges to the Coast Guard's decision to install a spill 
containment system and an appeal of the Coast Guard's denial of Taylor 
Energy's $353 million spill-cost reimbursement claim submitted to the 
U.S. Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
    The United States Department of Justice filed the proposed Consent 
Decree on behalf of the Coast Guard, DOI, and the federal and State 
trustees for natural resources. The designated federal trustees for the 
natural resources impacted by Taylor Energy's oil spill are the U.S. 
Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) and DOI through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. The designated State trustees are the Louisiana Oil Spill 
Coordinator's Office, Department of Public Safety & Corrections; 
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Louisiana Department of 
Environmental Quality; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; 
and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
    The publication of this notice opens a 40-day period for public 
comment on the proposed Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to 
the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources 
Division, and should refer to United States v. Taylor Energy Company 
LLC, DJ# 90-5-1-1-11008/2, Civil Case No. 20-2910 (E.D. La.). All 
comments must be submitted no later than 40 days after the publication 
date of this notice.

[[Page 73806]]

Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
         To submit comments:                     Send them to:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By email............................  [email protected].
By mail.............................  Assistant Attorney General, U.S.
                                       DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611,
                                       Washington, DC 20044-7611.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 enclose a check or 
money order for $14.50 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable to 
the United States Treasury to: Consent Decree Library, U.S. DOJ--ENRD, 
P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

Thomas Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-28092 Filed 12-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P
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