Notice2025-17942

Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree

Primary source

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Published
September 17, 2025

Issuing agencies

Justice Department

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 44847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17942]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree

    On September 12, 2025, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed 
Consent Decree (``Decree'') with the United States District Court for 
the District of New Jersey in the lawsuit entitled City of Vineland v. 
Vineland Ice and Storage, LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 1:22-cv-2444-
CPO-MJS.
    This is a tax foreclosure action by the City of Vineland for 544 E 
Pear Street in Vineland, New Jersey (``the Property''). The City named 
the United States as a defendant because the United States holds a lien 
on the Property to secure payment for costs incurred by the 
Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') in connection with EPA's 
response to hazardous substances at the South Jersey Ice and Cold 
Storage Superfund Site on the Property. The lien is pursuant to Section 
107(l)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C. 
9607)(l)(1), and is recorded in the Cumberland County Clerk's Office in 
Book 4181 of Mortgages for said county at page 7587 (the ``CERCLA 
Lien''). The United States removed the City's state-court action to 
federal district court in April 2022.
    The proposed Decree will allow the City of Vineland to continue 
seeking a foreclosure judgment to obtain ownership of the Property 
without affecting the CERCLA Lien. The CERCLA Lien will remain on the 
Property until EPA's response costs are satisfied or the United States 
files a release. Under the Consent Decree, the United States agrees it 
will not seek judicial sale of the Property under 28 U.S.C. 2410(c) or 
foreclose on the Property under Section 107(l)(4) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 
9607(l)(4). In return, if the City decides to sell the property, it 
must pay the United States the lesser of $981,871.27 or the net sales 
proceeds of the Property. And if the City considers using the property 
for income-generating purposes, the City must notify EPA and EPA will 
be entitled to a percentage of the future income until its costs are 
satisfied.
    The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on 
the proposed Decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant 
Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and 
should refer to City of Vineland v. Vineland Ice and Storage, LLC, et 
al., D.J. Ref. No. 90-11-3-12363. 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#2e5e5b4c4d4143434b405a034b4b5d004b405c4a6e5b5d4a414400494158"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87f7f2e5e4e8eaeae2e9f3aae2e2f4a9e2e9f5e3c7f2f4e3e8eda9e0e8f1">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
By mail.............................  Assistant Attorney General, U.S.
                                       DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611,
                                       Washington, DC 20044-7611.
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    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 proposed Decree may be 
examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: <a href="https://www.justice.gov//decrees">https://www.justice.gov//decrees</a>. If you require assistance accessing the 
proposed Decree, you may request assistance by email or by mail to the 
addresses provided above for submitting comments.

Eric D. Albert,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment 
and Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2025-17942 Filed 9-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on September 17, 2025.

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