Notice2025-15495
Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
Primary source
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Published
August 14, 2025
Issuing agencies
Justice Department
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39225-39226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15495]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
On August 11, 2025, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed
Consent Decree with the United States District Court for the District
of New Mexico in the lawsuit entitled United States of America, State
of New Mexico, New Mexico Environment Department, and Navajo Nation v.
United Nuclear Corporation, Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-00765-KK-SCY.
The complaint in the case alleges claims for recovery of response
costs and performance of a remedial action under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA'')
against United Nuclear Corporation (``UNC'') with respect to two
uranium-contaminated Superfund sites in New Mexico, the Northeast
Church Rock Mine Site (``NECR Mine Site'') and the United Nuclear
Corporation Mill Site (``UNC Mill Site''). These claims arise from the
release and threatened release of mine and mill wastes that are
contaminated with radium-226, uranium, and other hazardous substances
at the NECR Mine Site and UNC Mill Site. The Consent Decree requires
UNC and related party General Electric Company, also a ``Settling
Defendant'' and guarantor, to complete a remedial action selected by
EPA that will cost an estimated $62.5 million. The remedial action
involves primarily excavation of the NECR Mine Site wastes and transfer
of approximately 96% of the wastes to the UNC Mill Site for placement
in an engineered repository at the UNC Mill Site. The Consent Decree
also provides for the payment of unreimbursed response costs incurred
or to be incurred by the United States and the Navajo Nation. In
return, the Consent Decree grants covenants not to sue to the Settling
Defendants under Sections 106 and 107(a) of CERCLA, Section 7003 of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (``RCRA''), and under certain
state and tribal laws.
The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on
the Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant
Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and
should refer to United States, State of New Mexico, New Mexico
Environment Department and Navajo Nation v. United Nuclear Corp., D.J.
Ref. No. 90-11-3-10077/1. 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:
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To submit comments: Send them to:
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By email............................... <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9fefeafdfcf0f2f2faf1ebb2fafaecb1faf1edfbdfeaecfbf0f5b1f8f0e9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c4b4b1a6a7aba9a9a1aab0e9a1a1b7eaa1aab6a084b1b7a0abaeeaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a>.
By mail................................ Assistant Attorney General,
U.S. DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611,
Washington, D.C. 20044-7611.
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Under section 7003(d) of RCRA, a commenter may request an
opportunity for a public meeting in the affected area. Any comments
submitted in writing may be filed by the United States in whole or in
part on the public court docket without notice to the commenter.
During the public comment period, the Consent Decree may be
examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees">https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees</a>. If you require assistance
accessing the Consent Decree, you may request
[[Page 39226]]
assistance by email or by mail to the addresses provided above for
submitting comments.
Thomas Carroll,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2025-15495 Filed 8-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P
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