Proposed Material Modification of Clean Water Act Consent Decree

FR: Justice Department

Published April 2nd, 2026

Detected April 2nd, 2026

Summary

The Department of Justice published a notice of lodging a proposed material modification to a Clean Water Act consent decree in the Federal Register. The notice invites public comment on the proposed modification. The specific parties to the original consent decree and details of the proposed changes are not disclosed in this notice.

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What changed

The Department of Justice filed a notice of lodging a proposed material modification of a consent decree under the Clean Water Act. The notice, published in the Federal Register (91 FR 16745, Document No. 2026-06329), announces that the modification has been submitted to the court for approval. The specific parties, the original case details, and the nature of the proposed modifications are not disclosed in the notice itself.

Regulated entities and interested parties should review this notice and submit any relevant comments. The public comment period allows stakeholders to raise objections or provide input on the proposed modification before the court issues a final order. Entities potentially affected by the underlying consent decree should monitor for additional details about the specific modifications being proposed.

Source document (simplified)

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Notice

Notice of Lodging of Proposed Material Modification of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act

A Notice by the Justice Department on 04/02/2026

Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agency Department of Justice Document Citation 91 FR 16745 Document Number 2026-06329 Document Type Notice Page 16745
(1 page) Publication Date 04/02/2026 Published Content - Document Details
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Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agency Department of Justice Document Citation 91 FR 16745 Document Number 2026-06329 Document Type Notice Page 16745
(1 page) Publication Date 04/02/2026 Published Content - Document Details
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- Public Inspection Public Inspection This PDF is FR Doc. 2026-06329 as it appeared on Public Inspection on
04/01/2026 at 8:45 am.

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Department of Justice

( printed page 16745) On March 30, 2026, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed material modification to a Consent Decree (“Decree”) with the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina in the lawsuit entitled United States and State of South Carolina v. the City of Columbia, South Carolina, Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-2429-TLW.

The Consent Decree—entered by the court in 2014—resolved alleged violations of the Clean Water Act stemming from the City of Columbia's operation of its sanitary sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. The Decree required the City of Columbia to complete remedial projects to its sewer system and, following completion of those projects, to implement a capacity assurance program to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows from the system. The proposed material modification requires the City of Columbia to complete four additional projects to increase sewer capacity by January 1, 2029, and postpones the deadline for implementation of the capacity assurance program required under the Decree in the subbasins in which those projects will occur until after completion of the projects.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the proposed modification. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and should refer to United States and State of South Carolina v. the City of Columbia, South Carolina, D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-09954. 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 | pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov. |
| By mail | Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. |
During the public comment period, the proposed modification, along with the previously entered Consent Decree, may be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department website: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. If you require assistance accessing the proposed modification, you may request assistance by email or by mail to the addresses provided above for submitting comments.

Scott D. Bauer,

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

[FR Doc. 2026-06329 Filed 4-1-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-P

Published Document: 2026-06329 (91 FR 16745)