Environmental Protection Agency May 12, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with Section 122(i) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement for recovery of response costs incurred for the Absorbent Technologies Site located at 140 Queen Avenue SW., and 2830 Ferry Street SW., in Albany, Oregon. Under this proposed settlement, the settling parties are David L. Ellis, Pamela L. Ellis, Farouk H. Al-Hadi, Lombard Foods, Inc., an Oregon corporation, and the Bankruptcy Estate of Absorbent Technologies, Inc. The proposed settlement requires the settling parties to pay $250,000 to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund. Upon payment of this sum to EPA, the settling parties will be released from their obligations for payments to EPA for costs EPA incurred between October 15, 2013 and January 31, 2014. EPA has incurred additional response since January 31, 2014, and this settlement does not provide the settling parties with a release for claims for reimbursement of responses costs incurred after January 31, 2014. However, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, EPA agrees not to file claims against the Bankruptcy Estate of Absorbent Technologies, Inc. in its bankruptcy proceeding. For 30 days following the date of publication of this notice, the EPA will receive written comments relating to the proposed settlement. The EPA will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to the settlement if comments received disclose facts or considerations which indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The EPA's response to any comments received will be available for public inspection at the U.S. EPA Region 10 Office, located at 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA'' or ``the Act''), as amended, requires that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (``NCP'') include a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List (``NPL'') constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'' or ``the agency'') in determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be appropriate. This rule proposes to add five sites to the General Superfund section of the NPL.

Under 122(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the United States Environmental Protection Agency has entered into a settlement with the State of Mississippi concerning the Chemfax Inc. Superfund Site located in Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi. The settlement addresses costs from a fund-lead Removal Action taken by the EPA, a fund lead RI/ FS and various enforcement work performed at the Site.