Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree; Under the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”)

In accordance with Departmental policy, 28 CFR 50.7, notice is hereby given that a proposed consent decree in Civil Action No. 99-2673-Civ-T-24B was lodged with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on November 23, 1999.

In this action the United States sought injunctive relief and recovery of response costs under Sections 106(a) and 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606(a) and 9607, with respect to the Stauffer Chemical Superfund Site in Tarpon Springs, Florida (“the Site”).

Under a proposed Consent Decree, Atkemix Thirty-Seven, Inc., the present owner and operator of the Site, and Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company, Inc., the former owner and operator of the Site, have agreed to perform the remedy chosen by EPA to clean up the Site, pay the government's remaining past response costs, and pay future response costs, in settlement of the government's claims under Sections 106 and 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606 and 9607.

The Department of Justice will extend the public comment period for an additional thirty (30) days and will receive comments until February 22, 2000 relating to the proposed consent decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530, and should refer to United States v. Atkemix Thirty-Seven, Inc., and Rhone-Poulenc Ag. Company, Inc., (M.D.F1.), DOJ #90-11-2-1227/1.

The proposed consent decree may be examined at the Office of the United States Attorney, 400 North Tampa Street, Suite 3200, Tampa Florida 33602; the Region 4 Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, and at the Consent Decree Library, Post Office Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611, (202) 514-1547. A copy of the proposed consent decree may be obtained by mail from the Consent Decree Library, Post Office Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. In requesting a copy please refer to the referenced case and enclose a check in the amount of 25 cents per page for reproduction costs, payable to the Consent Decree Library.