Notice of Lodging of Proposed Material Modification of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act

On March 30, 2026, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed material modification to a Consent Decree (“Decree”) with the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina in the lawsuit entitled United States and State of South Carolina v. the City of Columbia, South Carolina, Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-2429-MGL.

Thereafter, notice of the proposed consent decree modification was published in the Federal Register , 91 FR 16745 (Apr. 2, 2026), and public comments were solicited for a period of 30 days. The Federal Register notice incorrectly stated that the deadline for the City of Columbia to complete four additional projects to increase sewer capacity was January 1, 2029. Two of the projects have the deadline of January 1, 2029, and two projects have the deadline of July 1, 2029.

In light of the incorrect original notice, the publication of this notice re-opens a period for public comment on the proposed modification. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer to United States and State of South Carolina v. the City of Columbia, South Carolina, D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-09954. All comments must be submitted no later than fifteen (15) days after the publication date of this notice. Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail:

During the public comment period, the proposed modification, along with the previously entered Consent Decree, may be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: https://www.justice.gov/​enrd/​consent-decrees. If you require assistance accessing the proposed modification, you may request assistance by email or by mail to the addresses provided above for submitting comments.