Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right To Know Act

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 251 (Thursday, December 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72328-72329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34716]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act and the Emergency 
Planning and Community Right To Know Act

    Notice is hereby given that on November 30, 1998, a proposed 
consent degree in United States v. Pfizer Inc., Civil Action No. 398-
CV-2317-CLG, was lodged with the United States District Court for the 
District of Connecticut.
    This action alleges violations of the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Emergency Planning and 
Community Right to Know Act against defendant Pfizer Inc. (``Pfizer'') 
at its facility located in Groton, Connecticut. The violations involve 
the improper management of hazardous waste, discharges of pollutants 
into the Thames River in excess of Pfizer's National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (``NPDES'') permits limits, discharges and 
spills not authorized by Pfizer's NPDES permit, and failure to comply 
with reporting and recordkeeping requirements relating to the emitting 
of toxic chemicals from the Groton facility.
    The consent decree provides that Pfizer will pay a civil penalty of 
$625,000 and implement injunctive relief to ensure future compliance 
with the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions at issue. In 
addition, Pfizer will implement a supplemental environmental project 
(``SEP'') at a present value cost of not less than $150,000. The SEP 
involves the assessment of hazardous waste management practices at a 
New England university, development of tools to

[[Page 72329]]

improve hazardous waste management at the university, and 
implementation of those tools. The SEP also involves training for other 
universities based on what is learned in connection with the primary 
facility and making available to other universities the software and 
guidance tools that are developed. In addition to the SEP, Pfizer will 
conduct seven training sessions for Connecticut high school, vocational 
school and junior college teachers relating to hazardous waste 
management issues.
    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 of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and should refer to 
United States v. Pfizer, Inc., Civil Action No. 398-CV-2317-CLG, D.J. 
Ref. 90-7-1-795, 90-7-1-795Z.
    The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Region I Office 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, One Congress Street, Boston, 
Massachusetts, 02203 (contact Andrea Simpson, 617-918-1738) and at the 
Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, 
D.C. 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, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. In requesting a 
copy, please enclose a check in the amount of $22.25 (25 cents per page 
reproduction cost) payable to the Consent Decree Library.
Joel M. Gross,
Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural 
Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 98-34716 Filed 12-30-98; 8:45 am]
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