Document ID: EPA-HQ-OGC-2008-0310-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Proposed Settlement Agreement, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit
Posted Date: 2008-06-11T04:00Z

[Federal Register: June 11, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 113)]
[Notices]               
[Page 33089-33090]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jn08-50]                         

[[Page 33089]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8577-8]

 
Proposed Settlement Agreement, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Settlement Agreement; Request for Public 
Comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as 
amended (``Act''), 42 U.S.C. 7413(g), notice is hereby given of a 
proposed settlement agreement, to address a lawsuit filed by Sierra 
Club and the American Bottom Conservancy (collectively ``Plaintiffs'') 
in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois: Sierra Club 
v. Johnson, Case No. 06-CV-4000 (N.D. Ill.). Plaintiffs filed a 
complaint alleging that EPA failed to perform a nondiscretionary duty 
under Clean Air Act section 505(c), 42 U.S.C. 7661d(c), to issue by May 
2, 2006, an operating permit for the Veolia hazardous waste incinerator 
located in Sauget, Illinois (``the Facility''). Under the terms of the 
proposed settlement agreement, by July 18, 2008, EPA would either issue 
a decision denying an operating permit for the Facility or complete the 
public participation process for a draft operating permit. If EPA does 
not issue a decision denying an operating permit for the Facility then, 
by September 12, 2008, EPA would either issue a final operating permit 
for the Facility or issue a final decision denying the operating 
permit. Further, under the terms of the proposed settlement agreement, 
EPA would pay Plaintiffs a specified amount in settlement for 
attorneys' fees in this matter.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed settlement agreement must be 
received by July 11, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OGC-2008-0310, online at http://www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred 
method); by e-mail to oei.docket@epa.gov; mailed to EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to 
EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be 
formatted in Word or ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters 
and any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing address 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Orlin, Air and Radiation Law 
Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone: (202) 564-1222; fax number (202) 564-5603; e-mail address: 
orlin.david@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Additional Information About the Proposed Settlement Agreement

    Plaintiffs filed a complaint alleging that EPA failed to perform a 
nondiscretionary duty under Clean Air Act section 505(c), 42 U.S.C. 
7661d(c), to issue by May 2, 2006, a title V operating permit for the 
Veolia hazardous waste incinerator located in Sauget, Illinois (``the 
Facility'') under 40 CFR Part 71. Under the terms of the proposed 
settlement agreement, by July 18, 2008, EPA would either issue a 
decision denying an operating permit for the Facility or complete the 
public participation process for a draft operating permit under 42 
U.S.C. 7661d(c) and 40 CFR Part 71. If EPA does not issue a decision 
denying an operating permit for the Facility then, by September 12, 
2008, EPA would either issue a final operating permit for the Facility 
or issue a final decision denying the operating permit under 42 U.S.C. 
7661d(c) and 40 CFR Part 71. EPA also will pay a specified amount to 
Plaintiffs to settle their claims for attorneys' fees.
    For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication 
of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to 
the proposed settlement agreement from persons who were not named as 
parties or intervenors to the litigation in question. EPA or the 
Department of Justice may withdraw or withhold consent to the proposed 
settlement agreement if the comments disclose facts or considerations 
that indicate that such consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate, 
or inconsistent with the requirements of the Act. Unless EPA or the 
Department of Justice determines, based on any comment which may be 
submitted, that consent to the settlement agreement should be 
withdrawn, the terms of the agreement will be affirmed.

II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Settlement

A. How Can I Get a Copy of the Settlement Agreement?

    The official public docket for this action (identified by Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2008-0310) contains a copy of the proposed settlement 
agreement. The official public docket is available for public viewing 
at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA 
Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 
566-1744, and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-
1752.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
http://www.regulations.gov. You may use the http://www.regulations.gov 
Web site to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of 
the contents of the official public docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate docket 
identification number.
    It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, 
whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available 
for public viewing online at http://www.regulations.gov without change, 
unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information 
claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is restricted by 
statute is not included in the official public docket or in the 
electronic public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, 
including copyrighted material contained in a public comment, will not 
be placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only 
in printed, paper form in the official public docket. Although not all 
docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access 
any of the publicly available docket materials through the EPA Docket 
Center.

B. How and To Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section. 
Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified 
comment

[[Page 33090]]

period. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be 
marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late comments.
    If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail address or other 
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or 
CD-ROM you submit. This ensures that you can be identified as the 
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA 
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further 
information on the substance of your comment. Any identifying or 
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included 
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, 
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot 
read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you 
for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    Use of the http://www.regulations.gov Web site to submit comments 
to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. 
The electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other 
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. 
In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail 
(e-mail) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an 
e-mail comment directly to the Docket without going through http://
www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address is automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public 
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.

    Dated: June 2, 2008.
Richard B. Ossias,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. E8-13090 Filed 6-10-08; 8:45 am]

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