[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 147 (Wednesday, August 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42113-42114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3751]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Notice of Lodging of the Consent Decree Under the Pipeline Safety 
Act

    Notice is hereby given that on July 26, 2007, a proposed Consent 
Decree in United States v. El Paso Natural Gas Co. (``EPNG''), Civil 
Action No. 1:07-cv-715, was lodged with the United States Court for the 
District of New Mexico.
    The proposed Consent Decree resolves EPNG's violations of specific 
regulations promulgated under the Pipeline Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. 
section 60120. The Complaint filed concurrently with the Consent Decree 
alleges the following violations by EPNG: Violation of 49 CFR 192.475 
by transporting corrosive gas on Pipelines 1103 and 1107; violation of 
49 CFR 192.477 by failing to monitor the lines when corrosive gas is 
being transported on lines 1107 and 1103; and violation of 49 CFR 
192.453 by failing to have personnel qualified in corrosion control 
methods. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, EPNG will pay a $15.5 
million penalty, and implement injunctive relief on its 10,000 miles of 
pipeline system valued to cost at least $86 million. EPNG agrees to, 
among other things, modify its pipelines to enable in-line inspection 
tools to be used on its system; conduct sampling, monitoring, and 
inspections on its system; and provide training for its corrosion 
control specialists and corrosion engineers.
    The Department of Justice will receive for a period of thirty (30) 
days from the date of this publication comments

[[Page 42114]]

relating to the Consent Decree. Comments should be addressed to the 
Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources 
Division, and either e-mailed to [email protected], or 
mailed to the, P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, 
DC 20044-7611, and should refer to United States v. EPNG, D.J. Ref. 90-
5-1-1-08184.
    The Consent Decree may be examined at the Office of the United 
States Attorney, Federal Office Building, 201 Third Street, NW., Suite 
900, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, and at United States Department of 
Transportation Docket Operations facility, West Building, Room W-12-
140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. During the 
public comment period, the Consent Decree may also be examined on the 
following Department of Justice, Web site, http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. A copy of the Consent Decree may also be 
obtained by mail from the Consent Decree Library, P.O. Box 7611, U.S. 
Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611 or by faxing or e-
mailing a request to Tonia Fleetwood ([email protected]), fax 
no. (202) 514-0097, phone confirmation number (202) 514-1547. In 
requesting a copy from the Consent Decree Library, please enclose a 
check in the amount of $28.00 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) 
payable to the U.S. Treasury or, if by e-mail or fax, forward a check 
in that amount to the Consent Decree Library at the stated address.

Thomas Mariani,
Assistant Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and 
Natural Resource Division.
[FR Doc. 07-3751 Filed 7-31-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-15-M