EPA is requesting the approval, signature and filing of a judicial Consent Decree by the Department of Justice relating to the Reynolds Metals Study Area located in the Town of Massena, St. Lawrence County, New York (the ?Site?). The Consent Decree which provides for the Reynolds Metals Company (?Reynolds?) to reimburse the Hazardous Substance Superfund for approximately $1.5 million in response costs paid by EPA in connection with the Site. The Site is not on the National Priorities List.
Under the Consent Decree, EPA is recovering 100% of response costs incurred from November 1993 through January 2002 in connection with the Site. Approximately $240,000 in interest which accrued on those costs through July 2002 is being compromised. Reynolds will, however, pay interest on the settlement amount from approximately August 2002 until the date of payment.
On August 15, 2002, EPA issued a Demand Letter to Reynolds seeking reimbursement of $1,765,102.82, which consisted of $1,523,965.31 in response costs and $241,137.51 in interest on that amount that had accrued beginning on June 28, 1994 (the date of an earlier cost demand) until July 2002. Most of the response costs sought in the 2002 Demand were for EPA oversight of Reynolds? performance of work required by a September 28, 1989, Administrative Order (?1989 Order?) issued by EPA pursuant to Section 106(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. ? 9606(a). The 1989 Order requires Reynolds to investigate and remediate contaminated rive