2023-08926. Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Clean Air Act

On April 20, 2023 the Department of Justice lodged a proposed consent decree with the United States District Court for the District of Colorado in the lawsuit entitled United States et al. v. Williams Companies, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-00994–KLM.

The United States, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the States of Alabama, Colorado, West Virginia, and Wyoming, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality filed this lawsuit under the Clean Air Act. The complaint alleges multiple violations of the Leak Detection and Repair provisions and other requirements in the Clean Air Act's New Source Performance Standards and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The consent decree requires the defendants to take specified actions to address the alleged violations, pay a civil penalty of $3,750,000, and take several pollution mitigation actions to reduce volatile organic compound emissions.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the proposed consent decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer to United States et al. v. Williams Companies, Inc. et al., D.J. Ref. No. 90–5–2–1–06938/5. All comments must be submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the publication date of this notice. Comments may be submitted either by email or by mail:

To submit comments:	Send them to:
By email	[e-mail].
By mail	Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611.

During the public comment period, the proposed consent decree may be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: http://www.justice.gov/​enrd/​consent-decrees. We will provide a paper copy of the proposed consent decree upon written request and payment of reproduction costs. Please mail your request and payment to: Consent Decree Library, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044–7611.

Please enclose a check or money order for $66.00 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable to the United States Treasury.

Jeffrey Sands,

Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division.