|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
On November 16, 2009, ENRD will celebrate the Division's 100th Anniversary!
Commemorative celebration plans will be finalized over the next several months, but early planning already is underway.
Click the envelope icon above to subscribe to our 100th Anniversary updates, or email enrd100@usdoj.gov to send an idea to the planning committee.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
MODEL CERCLA SECTION 107 CONSENT DECREE FOR
RECOVERY OF PAST RESPONSE COSTS
I. BACKGROUND
II. JURISDICTION
III. PARTIES BOUND
IV. DEFINITIONS
V. REIMBURSEMENT OF RESPONSE COSTS
VI. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF CONSENT DECREE
VII. COVENANT NOT TO SUE BY PLAINTIFF[S]
VIII. COVENANT NOT TO SUE BY SETTLING DEFENDANTS
IX. EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT/CONTRIBUTION PROTECTION
__. [SITE ACCESS]
XII. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION
XIII. INTEGRATION[/APPENDICES]
XIV. LODGING AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
XV. EFFECTIVE DATE
XVI. SIGNATORIES/SERVICE
FOR THE DISTRICT OF [______________]
[_________________] DIVISION1
______________________________
)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
)
[and )
)
THE STATE OF ___________] )
)
Plaintiff[s], )
) Civil Action No. ___________
v. )
) Judge ______________________
[DEFENDANTS] )
)
)
Defendants. )
______________________________)
[NOTE: If the complaint includes causes of action which are not resolved by this consent decree, or names defendants who are not signatories to this consent decree, the title should be "Partial Consent Decree.]
A. The United States of America ("United States"), on behalf of the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), filed a complaint in this matter pursuant to Section 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. Section 9607, as amended ("CERCLA"), seeking reimbursement of response costs incurred and to be incurred for response actions taken at or in connection with the release or threatened release of hazardous substances at the [insert Site Name] in [insert City, County, State] ("the Site").
[[__. The State of ________ (the "State") also filed a complaint against the defendants in this Court alleging that the defendants are liable to the State under Section 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 9607, and [list State laws cited in the State's complaint]. The State in its complaint seeks [insert relief sought].]]
B. The defendants that have entered into this Consent Decree ("Settling Defendants") do not admit any liability to Plaintiff[s] arising out of the transactions or occurrences alleged in the complaint[s].2
C. The United States and Settling Defendants agree, and this Court by entering this Consent Decree finds, that this Consent Decree has been negotiated by the Parties in good faith, that settlement of this matter will avoid prolonged and complicated litigation between the Parties, and that this Consent Decree is fair, reasonable, and in the public interest.
THEREFORE, with the consent of the Parties to this Decree, it is ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED:
1. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sections 1331 and 1345 and 42 U.S.C. Sections 9607 and 9613(b) and also has personal jurisdiction over Settling Defendants. Settling Defendants consent to and shall not challenge entry of this Consent Decree or this Court's jurisdiction to enter and enforce this Consent Decree.
2. This Consent Decree is binding upon the United States [and the State], and upon Settling Defendants and their [heirs,] successors and assigns. Any change in ownership or corporate or other legal status, including but not limited to, any transfer of assets or real or personal property, shall in no way alter the status or responsibilities of Settling Defendants under this Consent Decree.
3. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, terms used in this Consent Decree which are defined in CERCLA or in regulations promulgated under CERCLA shall have the meaning assigned to them in CERCLA or in such regulations. Whenever
terms listed below are used in this Consent Decree or in any appendix attached hereto, the following definitions shall apply:
a. "CERCLA" shall mean the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 9601, et seq.
b. "Consent Decree" shall mean this Consent Decree and all appendices attached hereto. In the event of conflict between this Consent Decree and any appendix, the Consent Decree shall control.
c. "Day" shall mean a calendar day. In computing any period of time under this Consent Decree, where the last day would fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, the period shall run until the close of business of the next working day.
d. "DOJ" shall mean the United States Department of Justice and any successor departments, agencies or instrumentalities of the United States.
e. "EPA" shall mean the United States Environmental Protection Agency and any successor departments, agencies or instrumentalities of the United States.
f. "EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund" shall mean the Hazardous Substance Superfund established by the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. Section 9507.
g. "Interest" shall mean interest at the current rate specified for interest on investments of the Hazardous Substance Superfund established by 26 U.S.C. Section 9507, compounded annually on October 1 of each year, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section 9607(a).3
[[__. "Owner Settling Defendants" shall mean [insert names].]]4
h. "Paragraph" shall mean a portion of this Consent Decree identified by an arabic numeral or an upper or lower case letter.
i. "Parties" shall mean the United States[, the State of _____________,] and the Settling Defendants.
j. "Past Response Costs" shall mean all costs, including but not limited to direct and indirect costs, that EPA or DOJ on behalf of EPA has paid at or in connection with the Site through [insert date], plus accrued Interest on all such costs through such date.5
[[__. "Record of Decision" or "ROD" shall mean the EPA Record of Decision relating to the [Site or ___ Operable Unit at the Site] signed on [insert date] by the Regional Administrator, EPA Region ___, or his/her delegatee, and all attachments thereto.]]
k. "Plaintiff[s]" shall mean the United States [and the State].
l. "Section" shall mean a portion of this Consent Decree identified by a roman numeral.
m. "Settling Defendants" shall mean [insert names of settling parties, or only if very numerous, "those parties identified in Appendix A."]
n. "Site" shall mean the _______ Superfund site, encompassing approximately ____ acres, located at [insert address or description of location] in [insert City, County, State], and [insert either "depicted more clearly on the map included in Appendix B" or "designated by the following property description: ____________."]
[__. "State" shall mean the State [or Commonwealth] of ____________.]
[[__. "State Past Response Costs" shall mean all costs, including but not limited to direct and indirect costs, together with accrued interest, that the State of _________ has paid through [insert date] in response to the release or threatened release of hazardous substances at or in connection with the Site, but not including amounts reimbursed to the State by EPA.]]
o. "United States" shall mean the United States of America, including it departments, agencies and instrumentalities.
[NOTE: If the amount to be paid is $10,000 or greater, payment should be made by electronic funds transfer using the following Paragraph 4.]
4. Payment of Past Response Costs to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund. Within 30 days of entry of this Consent Decree, Settling Defendants shall pay to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund $________ in reimbursement of Past Response Costs, plus an additional sum for Interest on that amount calculated from the date set forth in the definition of Past Response Costs through the date of payment.6 Payment shall be made by FedWire Electronic Funds Transfer ("EFT") to the U.S. Department of Justice account in accordance with current EFT procedures, referencing USAO File Number ___________, the EPA Region and Site Spill ID Number ______ [insert 4-digit number, first 2 numbers represent the Region (01-10), second 2 numbers represent the Region's Site/Spill Identification number], and DOJ Case Number ___________. Payment shall be made in accordance with instructions provided to Settling Defendants by the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of __________ following lodging of the Consent Decree. Any payments received by the Department of Justice after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time shall be credited on the next business day. Settling Defendants shall send notice to EPA and DOJ that payment has been made in accordance with Section XI (Notices and Submissions) and to [insert names and mailing addresses of the Regional Financial Management Officer and any other receiving officials at EPA].
[NOTE: If the amount to be paid is less than $10,000, payment should be made by check using the following alternative Paragraph 4.]
4. Payment of Past Response Costs to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund. Within 30 days of entry of this Consent Decree, Settling Defendants shall pay to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund $________ in reimbursement of Past Response Costs, plus an additional sum for Interest on that amount calculated from the date set forth in the definition of Past Response Costs through the date of payment. Payment shall be made by certified check or checks or cashier's check or checks made payable to "U.S. Department of Justice," referencing the name and address of the party making payment, the EPA Region and Site Spill ID Number ______ [insert 4-digit number, first 2 numbers represent the Region (01-10), second 2 numbers represent the Region's Site/Spill Identification number], USAO File Number __________, and DOJ Case Number __________. Settling Defendants shall send the check[s] to:
[Insert address of Financial Litigation Unit of U.S. Attorney's Office for the District in which the Consent Decree will be entered]
Settling Defendants shall send notice that such payment has been made to EPA and DOJ in accordance with Section XI (Notices and Submissions) and to [insert names and mailing addresses of the Regional Financial Management Officer and any other receiving officials at EPA].
[NOTE: If payment is to be made to a State, insert the following optional paragraph.]
[[__. Payment of Past Response Costs to the State. Within 30 days of entry of this Consent Decree, Settling Defendants shall pay to the State $________, in the form of a certified check or checks or cashier's check or checks, in reimbursement of State Past Response Costs. The check[s] shall be made payable to _________ and shall reference [insert name of case]. Settling Defendants shall send the check[s] to:
[Insert address provided by State]]
5. Interest on Late Payments. In the event that any payment[s] required by Section V (Reimbursement of Response Costs) or Section VI, Paragraph 6 (Stipulated Penalty), are not received when due, Interest shall continue to accrue on the unpaid balance through the date of payment.
6. Stipulated Penalty.
a. If any amounts due to EPA [or to the State] under this Consent Decree are not paid by the required date, Settling Defendants shall pay to EPA [, or to the State if the delayed payment is for State Past Response Costs,] as a stipulated penalty, in addition to the Interest required by Paragraph 5, $_______ per violation per day that such payment is late.
[[__. If Settling Defendants do not comply with Section ___ (Site Access), Section ___ (Access to Information), or Section ___ [insert cross-reference to any other non-payment requirements for which a stipulated penalty applies], Settling Defendants shall pay to EPA, as a stipulated penalty, $______ per violation per day of such noncompliance.]]
[NOTE: Escalating payment schedules may be used in Paragraph 6(a) and in the optional paragraph immediately above concerning stipulated penalties for violations of non-payment requirements of the consent decree.]
b. Stipulated penalties are due and payable within 30 days of the date of the demand for payment of the penalties by EPA [or the State]. All payments to EPA under this Paragraph shall be made by certified or cashier's check made payable to "EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund" and shall be sent to:
[Insert Regional Lockbox number and address]
All payments shall indicate that the payment is for stipulated penalties and shall reference the name and address of the party making payment, the EPA Region and Site Spill ID Number ______ [insert 4-digit number, first 2 numbers represent the Region (01-10), second 2 numbers represent the Region's Site/Spill Identification number], USAO File Number __________, and DOJ Case Number ___________. Copies of check[s] paid pursuant to this Paragraph, and any accompanying transmittal letter[s], shall be sent to EPA and DOJ as provided in Section XI (Notices and Submissions) and to [insert title and address of Regional Financial Management Officer and any other receiving official at EPA].
[NOTE: If applicable, insert State payment instructions for stipulated penalties for failure to pay State Past Response Costs.]
c. Penalties shall accrue as provided in this Paragraph regardless of whether EPA [or the State] has notified Settling Defendants of the violation or made a demand for payment, but need only be paid upon demand. All penalties shall begin to accrue on the day after complete performance is due or the day a violation occurs, and shall continue to accrue through the final day of correction of the noncompliance or completion of the activity. Nothing herein shall prevent the simultaneous accrual of separate penalties for separate violations of this Consent Decree.
7. If the United States [or the State] brings an action to enforce this Consent Decree, Settling Defendants shall reimburse the United States [and the State] for all costs of such action, including but not limited to costs of attorney time.
8. Payments made under Paragraphs 5-7 shall be in addition to any other remedies or sanctions available to Plaintiff[s] by virtue of Settling Defendants' failure to comply with the requirements of this Consent Decree.
9. The obligations of Settling Defendants to pay amounts owed the United States [and the State] under this Consent Decree are joint and several. In the event of the failure of any one or more Settling Defendants to make the payments required under this Consent Decree, the remaining Settling Defendants shall be responsible for such payments.
10. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, the United States may, in its unreviewable discretion, waive payment of any portion of the stipulated penalties that have accrued pursuant to this Consent Decree.
11. Covenant Not to Sue by United States. Except as specifically provided in Paragraph 12 (Reservation of Rights by United States), the United States covenants not to sue Settling Defendants pursuant to Section 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 9607(a), to recover Past Response Costs. This covenant not to sue shall take effect upon receipt by EPA of all payments required by Section V, Paragraph 4 (Payment of Past Response Costs to the United States) and Section VI, Paragraphs 5 (Interest on Late Payments) and 6(a) (Stipulated Penalty for Late Payment). This covenant not to sue is conditioned upon the satisfactory performance by Settling Defendants of their obligations under this Consent Decree. This covenant not to sue extends only to Settling Defendants and does not extend to any other person.
12. Reservation of Rights by United States. The covenant not to sue set forth in Paragraph 11 does not pertain to any matters other than those expressly specified therein. The United States reserves, and this Consent Decree is without prejudice to, all rights against Settling Defendants with respect to all other matters, including but not limited to:
a. liability for failure of Settling Defendants to meet a requirement of this Consent Decree;
b. liability for damages for injury to, destruction of, or loss of natural resources, and for the costs of any natural resource damage assessments;
c. criminal liability;
d. liability for injunctive relief or administrative order enforcement under Section 106 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 6906; and
e. liability for costs incurred or to be incurred by the United States that are not within the definition of Past Response Costs.
[NOTE: If the State is a co-plaintiff, insert separate paragraphs for the State's covenant not to sue settling defendants and reservation of rights.]
13. Settling Defendants covenant not to sue and agree not to assert any claims or causes of action against the United States [or the State], or its [their] contractors or employees, with respect to Past Response Costs [and State Response Costs] or this Consent Decree, including but not limited to:
a. any direct or indirect claim for reimbursement from the Hazardous Substance Superfund based on Sections 106(b)(2), 107, 111, 112, or 113 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9606(b)(2), 9607, 9611, 9612, or 9613, or any other provision of law;
b. any claim arising out of response actions at the Site for which the Past Response Costs were incurred; and
c. any claim against the United States pursuant to Sections 107 and 113 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9607 and 9613, relating to Past Response Costs.7
14. Nothing in this Consent Decree shall be deemed to constitute approval or preauthorization of a claim within the meaning of Section 111 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 9611, or 40 C.F.R. 300.700(d).
15. Nothing in this Consent Decree shall be construed to create any rights in, or grant any cause of action to, any person not a Party to this Consent Decree. Each of the Parties expressly reserves any and all rights (including, but not limited to, any right to contribution), defenses, claims, demands, and causes of action which each Party may have with respect to any matter, transaction, or occurrence relating in any way to the Site against any person not a Party hereto.
16. The Parties agree, and by entering this Consent Decree this Court finds, that Settling Defendants are entitled, as of the effective date of this Consent Decree, to protection from contribution actions or claims as provided by Section 113(f)(2) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 9613(f)(2), for "matters addressed" in this Consent Decree. The "matters addressed" in this Consent Decree are Past Response Costs.8
17. Each Settling Defendant agrees that, with respect to any suit or claim for contribution brought by it for matters related to this Consent Decree, it will notify EPA and DOJ [and the State] in writing no later than 60 days prior to the initiation of such suit or claim. Each Settling Defendant also agrees that, with respect to any suit or claim for contribution brought against it for matters related to this Consent Decree, it will notify EPA and DOJ [and the State] in writing within 10 days of service of the complaint or claim upon it. In addition, each Settling Defendant shall notify EPA and DOJ [and the State] within 10 days of service or receipt of any Motion for Summary Judgment, and within 10 days of receipt of any order from a court setting a case for trial, for matters related to this Consent Decree.
18. In any subsequent administrative or judicial proceeding initiated by the United States [or the State] for injunctive relief, recovery of response costs, or other relief relating to the Site, Settling Defendants shall not assert, and may not maintain, any defense or claim based upon the principles of waiver, res judicata, collateral estoppel, issue preclusion, claim-splitting, or other defenses based upon any contention that the claims raised by the United States [or the State] in the subsequent proceeding were or should have been brought in the instant case; provided, however, that nothing in this Paragraph affects the enforceability of the Covenant Not to Sue by Plaintiff[s] set forth in Section VII.
[[__. Commencing upon the date of lodging of this Consent Decree, Settling Defendants agree to provide the United States [, the State,] and its [their] representatives, including EPA and its contractors, access at all reasonable times to the Site and to any other property owned or controlled by Settling Defendants to which access is determined by EPA [or the State] to be required for the implementation of this Consent Decree, or for the purpose of conducting any response activity related to the Site, including but not limited to:
a. Monitoring of investigation, removal, remedial or other activities at the Site;
b. Verifying any data or information submitted to the United States [or the State];
c. Conducting investigations relating to contamination at or near the Site;
d. Obtaining samples;
e. Assessing the need for, planning, or implementing response actions at or near the Site; [and]
f. Inspecting and copying records, operating logs, contracts, or other documents maintained or generated by Settling Defendants or their agents, consistent with Section ___ (Access to Information).
[NOTE: If institutional controls or any other provisions requiring monitoring are included in the decree, also include the following subparagraph g.]
[g. Assessing Settling Defendants' compliance with this Consent Decree.]
__. Notwithstanding any provision of this Consent Decree, the United States [and the State] retain[s] all of its [their] access authorities and rights, including enforcement authorities related thereto, under CERCLA, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 6927, and any other applicable statutes or regulations.
__. Notice of Obligations to Successors-in-Title.
a. Within 15 days after entry of this Consent Decree, [Owner Settling Defendants] shall record [insert either "a certified copy of this Consent Decree" or "a notice of the entry of this Consent Decree"] with the Recorder's Office [or Registry of Deeds or other appropriate office], _____________ County, State of ______________.10 Thereafter, each deed, title, or other instrument conveying an interest in the property included in the Site shall contain a notice stating that the property is subject to this Consent Decree [and any lien retained by the United States] and shall reference the recorded location of the Consent Decree and any restrictions applicable to the property under this Consent Decree.
b. The obligations of each [Owner Settling Defendant] with respect to the provision of access under Section ___ (Site Access) [and the implementation of institutional controls under Paragraph ___] shall be binding upon any and all Settling Defendants and upon any and all persons who subsequently acquire any such interest or portion thereof (hereinafter "Successors-in-Title"). Within 15 days after the entry of this Consent Decree, each [Owner Settling Defendant] shall record at the Recorder's Office [or Registry of Deeds or other appropriate office where land ownership and transfer records are maintainted for the property] a notice of obligation to provide access under Section ___ (Site Access) and related covenants, if any. Each subsequent instrument conveying an interest to any such property included in the Site shall reference the recorded location of such notice and covenants applicable to the property.
c. Any [Owner Settling Defendant] and any Successor-in-Title shall, at least 30 days prior to the conveyance of any such interest, give written notice of this Consent Decree to the grantee and written notice to EPA [and the State] of the proposed conveyance, including the name and address of the grantee, and the date on which notice of the Consent Decree was given to the grantee. In the event of any such conveyance, the Settling Defendants' obligations under this Consent Decree, including their obligation to provide or secure access pursuant to Section ___ (Site Access), shall continue to be met by Settling Defendants. In no event shall the conveyance of an interest in property that includes, or is a portion of, the Site release or otherwise affect the liability of Settling Defendants to comply with this Consent Decree.]]
[[__. Settling Defendants shall provide to EPA [and the State], upon request, copies of all documents and information within their possession or control or that of their contractors or agents relating to activities at the Site [or to the implementation of this Consent Decree], including, but not limited to, sampling, analysis, chain of custody records, manifests, trucking logs, receipts, reports, sample traffic routing, correspondence, or other documents or information related to the Site.
__. Confidential Business Information and Privileged Documents.
a. Settling Defendants may assert business confidentiality claims covering part or all of the documents or information submitted to Plaintiff[s] under this Consent Decree to the extent permitted by and in accordance with Section 104(e)(7) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Section 9604(e)(7), and 40 C.F.R. 2.203(b). Documents or information determined to be confidential by EPA will be accorded the protection specified in 40 C.F.R. Part 2, Subpart B. If no claim of confidentiality accompanies documents or information when they are submitted to EPA [and the State], or if EPA has notified Settling Defendants that the documents or information are not confidential under the standards of Section 104(e)(7) of CERCLA, the public may be given access to such documents or information without further notice to Settling Defendants.
b. Settling Defendants may assert that certain documents, records or other information are privileged under the attorney-client privilege or any other privilege recognized by federal law. If Settling Defendants assert such a privilege in lieu of providing documents, they shall provide Plaintiff[s] with the following: 1) the title of the document, record, or information; 2) the date of the document, record, or information; 3) the name and title of the author of the document, record, or information; 4) the name and title of each addressee and recipient; 5) a description of the subject of the document, record, or information; and 6) the privilege asserted. However, no documents, reports or other information created or generated pursuant to the requirements of this or any other consent decree with the United States shall be withheld on the grounds that they are privileged. If a claim of privilege applies only to a portion of a document, the document shall be provided to Plaintiff[s] in redacted form to mask the privileged information only. Settling Defendants shall retain all records and documents that they claim to be privileged until the United States has had a reasonable opportunity to dispute the privilege claim and any such dispute has been resolved in the Settling Defendants' favor.
__. No claim of confidentiality shall be made with respect to any data, including but not limited to, all sampling, analytical, monitoring, hydrogeologic, scientific, chemical, or engineering data, or any other documents or information evidencing conditions at or around the Site.]]
19. Until __ years after the entry of this Consent Decree, each Settling Defendant shall preserve and retain all records and documents now in its possession or control, or which come into its possession or control, that relate in any manner to response actions taken at the Site or the liability of any person for response actions conducted and to be conducted at the Site, regardless of any corporate retention policy to the contrary.
20. After the conclusion of the document retention period in the preceding paragraph, Settling Defendants shall notify EPA and DOJ [and the State] at least 90 days prior to the destruction of any such records or documents, and, upon request by EPA or DOJ [or the State], Settling Defendants shall deliver any such records or documents to EPA [or the State]. Settling Defendants may assert that certain documents, records, or other information are privileged under the attorney-client privilege or any other privilege recognized by federal law. If Settling Defendants assert such a privilege, they shall provide Plaintiff[s] with the following: 1) the title of the document, record, or information; 2) the date of the document, record, or information; 3) the name and title of the author of the document, record, or information; 4) the name and title of each addressee and recipient; 5) a description of the subject of the document, record, or information; and 6) the privilege asserted. However, no documents, reports, or other information created or generated pursuant to the requirements of this or any other consent decree with the United States shall be withheld on the grounds that they are privileged. If a claim of privilege applies only to a portion of a document, the document shall be provided to Plaintiff[s] in redacted form to mask the privileged information only. Settling Defendants shall retain all records and documents that they claim to be privileged until the United States has had a reasonable opportunity to dispute the privilege claim and any such dispute has been resolved in the Settling Defendants' favor.
21. By signing this Consent Decree, each Settling Defendant certifies individually that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, it has:
a. conducted a thorough, comprehensive, good faith search for documents, and has fully and accurately disclosed to EPA, all information currently in its possession, or in the possession of its officers, directors, employees, contractors or agents, which relates in any way to the ownership, operation or control of the Site, or to the ownership, possession, generation, treatment, transportation, storage or disposal of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant at or in connection with the Site;
b. not altered, mutilated, discarded, destroyed or otherwise disposed of any records, documents or other information relating to its potential liability regarding the Site, after notification of potential liability or the filing of a suit against the Settling Defendant regarding the Site; and
c. fully complied with any and all EPA requests for information regarding the Site pursuant to Sections 104(e) and 122(e) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9604(e) and 9622(e) [insert, if applicable, ", and Section 3007 of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. Section 6927"].
22. Whenever, under the terms of this Consent Decree, notice is required to be given or a document is required to be sent by one party to another, it shall be directed to the individuals at the addresses specified below, unless those individuals or their successors give notice of a change to the other Parties in writing. Written notice as specified herein shall constitute complete satisfaction of any written notice requirement of the Consent Decree with respect to the United States, EPA, DOJ, [the State,] and Settling Defendants, respectively.
As to the United States:
As to DOJ:
Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section
Environment and Natural Resources Division
U.S. Department of Justice (DJ # __________)
P.O. Box 7611
Washington, D.C. 20044-7611
As to EPA:
[Insert names and addresses of EPA Regional
contacts, usually the ORC attorney and the
RPM or Project Coordinator]
[As to the State:
Insert name and address of State contact if the
State is a party to the Consent Decree]
As to Settling Defendants:
[Insert name of one person who will serve as
the contact for all Settling Defendants]
23. This Court shall retain jurisdiction over this matter for the purpose of interpreting and enforcing the terms of this Consent Decree.
24. This Consent Decree and its appendices constitute the final, complete and exclusive agreement and understanding among the Parties with respect to the settlement embodied in this Consent Decree. The Parties acknowledge that there are no representations, agreements or understandings relating to the settlement other than those expressly contained in this Consent Decree. [The following appendices are attached to and incorporated into this Consent Decree: "Appendix A" is the complete list of Settling Defendants; and "Appendix B" is the map of the Site.]
25. This Consent Decree shall be lodged with the Court for a period of not less than 30 days for public notice and comment. The United States reserves the right to withdraw or withhold its consent if the comments regarding the Consent Decree disclose facts or considerations which indicate that this Consent Decree is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. Settling Defendants consent to the entry of this Consent Decree without further notice.
26. If for any reason this Court should decline to approve this Consent Decree in the form presented, this agreement is voidable at the sole discretion of any party and the terms of the agreement may not be used as evidence in any litigation between the Parties.
27. The effective date of this Consent Decree shall be the date upon which it is entered by the Court.
28. Each undersigned representative of a Settling Defendant to this Consent Decree and the [Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division]13 of the United States Department of Justice [insert State official] certifies that he or she is authorized to enter into the terms and conditions of this Consent Decree and to execute and bind legally such Party to this document.
29. Each Settling Defendant hereby agrees not to oppose entry of this Consent Decree by this Court or to challenge any provision of this Consent Decree, unless the United States has notified Settling Defendants in writing that it no longer supports entry of the Consent Decree.
30. Each Settling Defendant shall identify, on the attached signature page, the name and address of an agent who is authorized to accept service of process by mail on behalf of that Party with respect to all matters arising under or relating to this Consent Decree. Settling Defendants hereby agree to accept service in that manner and to waive the formal service requirements set forth in Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and any applicable local rules of this Court, including but not limited to, service of a summons.
SO ORDERED THIS _______ DAY OF ________________, 19__.
_____________________________
United States District Judge
THE UNDERSIGNED PARTIES enter into this Consent Decree in the
matter of [insert case name and civil action number], relating to
the __________ Superfund Site.
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Date: _______________ ________________________________
[Name]
Assistant Attorney General14
Environment and Natural Resources
Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530
________________________________
[NAME]
United States Attorney
[Address]
_________________________________
[NAME]
Attorney
Environmental Enforcement Section
Environment and Natural Resources
Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7611
Washington, DC 20044-7611
___________________________________
[Name]15
Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
__________________________________ [Name]
Regional Administrator, Region [ ]
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
[Address]
___________________________________
[Name]
Assistant Regional Counsel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
[Address]
[[THE UNDERSIGNED PARTY enters into this Consent Decree in the
matter of [insert case name and civil action number], relating to
the _________________ Superfund Site.
FOR THE STATE OF [ ]
Date: __________________ _________________________________
[Names and addresses of State signatories]]
THE UNDERSIGNED PARTY enters into this Consent Decree in the
matter of [insert case name and civil action number], relating to
the _________________ Superfund Site.
FOR DEFENDANT [ ]
Date: __________________ ___________________________________
[Names and address of Defendant's
signatories]
Agent Authorized to Accept Service on Behalf of Above-signed
Party:
Name: ________________________
Title: ________________________
Address: ________________________
1 Follow local rules for caption format.
2 In situations where the court has entered summary judgment as to liability, we normally should preserve that result in a subsequent settlement by deleting this Paragraph B and replacing it with one that describes the summary judgment decision.
3 The Superfund currently is invested in 52-week MK bills. The interest rate for these MK bills changes on October 1 of each year. To obtain the current rate, contact Vince Velez, Office of Administration and Resource Management, Financial Management Division, Superfund Accounting Branch, at (202) 260-6465.
4 This definition is needed if the optional paragraph on Notice of Obligations to Successors-in-Title is used. See infra p. 14.
5 If the past costs settlement is partial, it may be necessary to continue the definition with a brief description of the past response action(s) which are being paid for or compromised, such as: ". . . for the response action described in the Record of Decision for the First Operable Unit at the Site dated ________" or "for the removal action described in the action memorandum for the Site dated ________." Exercise care in describing the activities covered, as this description may affect the scope of the covenant not to sue and contribution protection. For clarity, the description of the past response action may need to indicate which response actions are not included within the definition of Past Response Costs. Check to be sure that the date used in the definition of Past Response Costs does not inadvertently include costs that are outside the scope of the definition. In some cases, it may be useful to attach a standard, Regionally-prepared cost summary listing the costs that are within the scope of the definition. This may be done: 1) to be sure that no confusion arises as to which costs are being compromised; or 2) to indicate which outstanding past cost claims are being resolved through the settlement, i.e., to indicate that the recovered costs are to be applied to particular portions of the debt.
6 As an alternative to calculation and payment of interest from the Past Response Costs date through the date of payment, settling defendants may agree to place the amount agreed upon into an interest-bearing escrow account to be disbursed to EPA upon entry of the consent decree. If this method is used, accrued interest from the Past Response Costs date through the date the escrow account is created should be calculated and included in the escrow deposit.
7 The settlement should, wherever possible, release or resolve any claims by settling defendants against the United States related to the site. Where a claim is asserted by a potentially responsible party, or the Region has any information suggesting federal agency liability, all information relating to potential federal liability should be provided to the affected agency and DOJ as soon as possible in order to resolve any such issues in the settlement. Settlement of any federal liability will require additional revisions to this document, and model language will be provided separately. Only in exceptional circumstances where federal liability cannot be resolved in a timely manner in the settlement should this provision be deleted and private parties be allowed to reserve their rights.
8 In exceptional situations, different coverage may apply.
9 Include this section if 1) access to the site is needed and 2) the site owner is a settling defendant or other settling defendants control access to the site or to any other property to which access is needed. Renumber sections and paragraphs as necessary. If any of the settling defendants will need to provide institutional controls as part of any response action, include such a provision within this section and change the name of this section to Site Access/Institutional Controls.
10 If an institutional controls provision is included in this section, this paragraph should be amended to require the owner settling defendants to record in the chain of title a restrictive covenant that specifies the institutional controls. The institutional controls to be implemented should be described in an appendix to this decree.
11 Include this section only if settling defendants have been or will be involved in cleanup efforts at the site or if they may possess information which may assist the Agency in its cleanup or enforcement efforts.
12 Renumber this section and all following section headings and paragraph numbers if either of the optional sections on Site Access or Access to Information is included.
13 Substitute Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, where the case involves less than $1 million and at least $500,000 is being recovered by settlement. Note also that Associate Attorney General approval is required if the difference between the total amount of the claim and the amount of the settlement exceeds $2 million or 15% of claim (whichever is greater). See 28 CFR 0.160.
14 See supra n. 13.
15 Include AA-OECA signature block only if he or she has a concurrence role under Delegation No. 14-13-B.
|
|
|
|
||
|